Shinku No En: The Crimson En
by UltraM2000
Summary: (GOJYO X HOURAN--COMPLETED) The Sanzo-ikkou has a new mission, and it may be able to explain Gojyo's recurrent dreams of his encounter with fellow half-demon, Houran. First attempt at het. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

_*_looks on FF.Net* Hmmm. There isn't a single GojyoxHouran fiction here. *Google* There isn't a single GoHou fic on GOOGLE SEARCH! Tsk! That has to change! *rolls up sleeves* M2000 presents…

真紅の 縁 しんく のえん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet.Wholesome, fluffy goodness, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. Yaoi fans go away, this is S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T. It would help to have knowledge of Saiyuki: Requiem, especially the ending, before reading this piece.

_Thoughts, flashbacks, emphasis and Japanese _(or non-italic, if the thoughts etc. are in a flashback)

**PROLOGUE**

_ "You said you wanted to live! If that's the case, then run!"_

_ "When the wind stops, finish him. I was happy here…even though I was a taboo child, my father still loved me…"_

And you, Gojyo-san…you gave me the best gift I could ever wish for. My hope…and my life…

_ "Gojyo-san…arigatou…"_

_ "Houran! Stop!! HOURAN!!!" [1]_

-----o-----

_ The crimson-haired maid stirred and opened her eyes after what felt like forever, looking from side to side frantically. An inky blackness surrounded her completely, and she felt the first flutterings of fear in her breast._

Where am I?_ she thought fearfully, shivering. _It's so dark and cold here…neither Tenkai nor Hell…

_ "I hope you've slept well, little one," purred a smooth and all too familiar voice. Houran felt her blood turn to ice. Her master Go Dougan was standing before her, expression still calm and superior as ever._

_ "Thought you could betray me, did you, girl? Kono ama!" [2] Dougan struck her a backhand to the cheek, and she fell over with a pained cry. "You had best put aside any and all notions of running away from me. This is my world now, OUR world, and you are but a part of it. Something I can control…something I can destroy." He snapped his fingers, and Houran felt the familiar jerk of the charm he'd planted in her chest, just below the heart. Without warning, one of her arms was wrenched behind her back. She bit back a yelp of pain, determined that she would not give her former master the pleasure of hearing her cry._

_ "Not enough pain yet for you?" He made a pass through the air with his hands, and her arm was wrenched back further. " Do you know where this is, child? Avici, the endless hell. I took you along with me when I died. Be good and stay with me, and you shall come to no harm. Turn against me once more, and I shall let you rot with the others. I made you what you are, Houran. I let you live all those years ago. I can destroy you completely, turn you into just another wandering soul…like them."_

_ The man withdrew his control over her body for the moment as he gestured into the blackness. Now Houran could hear the low moans of tortured souls around her as they groped blindly for escape. They drew close to Dougan, gurgling and groaning and fumbling for the hem of his robes. There was a glint of madness in their eyes._

_ "See how powerful I am now? With these poor souls on my side, even Sanzo-_sama_ himself cannot escape me. Soon, I shall seek revenge, Houran, and you, my beautiful orchid, shall help me do it." He chucked her under the chin affectionately, and laughed a deep and contented laugh._

_ Houran thought she would go quite insane. Even in death, she could not escape the grasp of Go Dougan. For a brief second, the face of a young man with two scars scored across his cheek flashed through her field of vision._

Gojyo-san, gomen…it wasn't meant to turn out this way…

-----o-----

"…!!!"

Gojyo's crimson eyes flew wide open and he choked back a shocked gasp upon his sudden awakening. He had learnt long ago to wake quietly from a nightmare in order to avoid the wrath of an embittered stepmother who wanted her sleep. Dawn was breaking over the distant hills, the sky lightening rapidly outside with wispy clouds flecking the sky like faint streaks of paint. It had been one of those steamy summer nights Tougenkyou liked to throw at her inhabitants, and the half-demon was naked from the chest upwards, but the sweat upon his tanned skin was a cold one and he clutched at his shoulders as if the mercury had plunged precipitously.

_Cold and dark and lonely…I remember somewhere cold and dark and lonely…_

It took some time to remember where he was as he stared around him. It hadn't been long before that the walls that sheltered him were whitewashed, smudged and cracked, surrounding meagre, cold concrete floor space—these ones were painted a faint delft blue, and cool, smooth faux-wood tiling met his feet as he eased his legs towards the ground. He had the _Sanbutsushin_ to thank for the new apartment.

After the four had reached Tenjiku, kicked the mother-loving crap out of Gyuumaou and ensured his slumber for the next cycle of eternity, the holy Three Aspects had rewarded them for a job well done with a gold credit card each, much like Sanzo's. Sanzo got an upgrade to a platinum card. They covered most of the major expenses, but Sanzo had warned them that the Aspects could be very tetchy about anything unnecessary or unexpected on the bill.

"Thanks for the warning," he had said to the monk. "Rather unexpected, coming from you."

"I'm only telling you because they make ME pay for the surplus," Sanzo had retorted.

Truth be told, _three_ of them had been rewarded, at least—Goku didn't receive a credit card as he was still considered Sanzo's ward. The blonde had fumed for days on end at being referred to as the guardian of that pest of a boy, but Gojyo put that amusing image from his mind for a while; there were better things to think about.

He tried to recap as objectively as he could. For the past two years since they had returned to Chouan, the nightmares had come to him. They were rare occurrences at first, and had struck whenever he found himself thinking about events of the past, but the visions had become more and more frequent in the past few weeks. It had now been four times within four days he'd dreamt of Houran.

He thought he'd managed to put his memories of the young lady behind him—it hadn't been easy. After all, it is not often you meet half-demons on the road to Tenjiku. It becomes more mind-blowing when you find out she was turned into a living _shikigami_ by the same man who killed her clan in a single night. Things get even dodgier when you realise that she is a beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a large and open heart, and that she's like you, half-demon, crimson eyes and crimson hair and the label of taboo. Look in those eyes, and see the emptiness of solitude. You know that feeling all too well, the way it gnaws at the corners of your heart and twists at your guts. You had wanted to tell her that she was not alone, that she would have…you. You to hold her close against the cold, to make sure no one would come near her any more, to take her in your arms and…

Gojyo stopped there. His imagination was taking a pleasant ramble down Hentai Road, but he _really_ wasn't in the mood now. That said a lot, for a man bestowed the charming nickname of _erogappa [3]_; emphasis on the _ero_ bit. He decided a good face wash would do him a world of good and rose from his bed.

Several splashes of icy cold water later, he was feeling marginally better. The man in his late twenties allowed himself a glance in the mirror and winced slightly. His rogue's face hadn't aged visibly—must be something about his hybrid blood—but the bags under his eyes were big enough to fit a week's shopping in them. The ladies weren't going to like that, nossir bob, even if he was one of the century's four unsung heroes. He cupped his chin in his hand pensively and thought, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

_I have never believed in that thing called love--not since I was a wee brat, anyway. I don't understand--why is it I am dreaming of her more and more often know, when we knew each other for too short a time to make any impression? _he wondered. _I definitely need to get my sex life back. The women need their Casanova back on the streets again. End of story, no?_

End of story, no, indeed.

-----o-----

"Good morning, Gojyo," came a merrily chirruped greeting. Hakkai, Gojyo's flatmate and close confidante, was already up and out of bed, perky and cheerful as usual and cooking up a storm. "Eggs over-easy, hard or in between?"

"Hard. Very hard, _garcon_," Gojyo drawled, downing his coffee in a single gulp. "With two tomatoes. And hold the toast."

"_Hai, hai_…"

The two men ate their breakfast in silence, Hakkai feeding his pet dragon Hakuryuu little bits of bacon off his plate. Gojyo smiled thinly, watching master and pet try to divide a fried tomato between them. Dragons _liked_ tomatoes, apparently. The half-demon stirred his eggs around his plate to give the illusion he was eating.

"Gojyo…it's not like you to pick at your food. Is something the matter?" Hakkai's soft, polite enquiry pierced through his haze.

So much for illusions. Gojyo delayed his answer effectively by stuffing a quarter of a fried egg into his mouth and making a great show of chewing. "You remember Houran, don't ya?" he replied after he'd swallowed.

"Go Dougan's _shikigami_, am I correct?" Hakkai asked. Gojyo's silent nod confirmed it. "Does this perhaps have something to do with the happenings back then?"

"_Maa na_—sort of," Gojyo shrugged, leaning back in his chair and stirring his eggs around the plate again. "I've been dreaming about her for the past few nights. Look at these eyes! I'm getting less sleep than Sanzo-_sama_! It's the same thing every time—I see her sacrificing herself for us against Dougan again, and then everything turns black and cold…so much so that when I wake up I still feel like a block of ice. Bloody freaky, man, BLOODY freaky."

"Yes, that is strange," murmured Hakkai, "because I know that despite all your faults, you aren't one to dwell on the past…much," he tacked on. "And you are definitely not a necrophile."

Before the half-demon could retort, there was a series of high notes from the red Nokia 3310 handphone [4] lying on the kitchen counter. Gojyo got up from his seat, snatched the phone and glanced at the screen. One eyebrow quirked up in surprise. "It's from _bouzu_," he muttered, and answered. Hakkai blinked, a little surprise. What was Sanzo doing, calling them up so early in the morning?

"For the love of Kannon, can't a man have his breakfast in peace without having to deal with a corrupted ol' _namagusa bouzu _and his _bakazaru_?" Gojyo greeted the monk on the other end of the line in stock fashion. "What is it now? Uh huh. What? NOW? I know it's not polite to keep them waiting, I mean, why?! Ch', fine, fine, I'll be there as soon as I and Hakkai're finished with breakfast. _N. Ja,_" Gojyo muttered curtly. Hanging up, he jammed the phone into the back of his pocket and set into the rest of his breakfast.

"What did Sanzo have to say?" Hakkai asked, clearing away the breakfast dishes with an efficiency that never failed to impress his companion.

"Funnily enough," said Gojyo, pouring himself a second mug of coffee and draining it to the black, bitter dregs, "that the _Sanbutsushin_ wish to consult us on a matter of grave importance."

"Oh?"

"Some kinda shit like that."

"I see. _Ne, _Gojyo."

"Hn?"

"Don't be in such a hurry to go yet. You're still in your boxers, and nothing else."

-----o-----

[1] Saiyuki 'Requiem' events.

[2] 'You b----!' Owww! Dougan, you evil *muffled profanity*

[3] Erotic/horny water monster. For more information on what an _erogappa_ is, I think I have a good explanation at the bottom part of 'Smile Of The Father's first chapter (Arrest In Melancholy/_Ushinawareta Warai_).

[4] …very much like the one I own… 


	2. Chapt 1

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. Names of _Sanbutsushin_ are not mentioned in canon; the names of the three aspects of Buddhism are extracted from Malaysia's Form 4 History textbook. See, Sejarah can actually be useful, people. :)

**CHAPTER ONE: REUNION AT SHAYOUDEN**

"Yo…Mr. Corrupt Monk and his stupid monkey…"

"Don't keep calling me stupid monkey, you horny kappa!"

"So, what, then?_ Mini_-monkey, perhaps? Brat? Squirt? Aaaa?!"

"All right, all right, you two, be nice…" [1]

"_Kyuu~_"

"See? Even Hakuryuu agrees with me…"

Sanzo heaved a deep groan of exasperation. It was always the same with these three: Gojyo would start calling that stupid _saru_ names, Goku would answer back, a squabble would start and Hakkai would try and calm the two down, very unsuccessfully. The high-ranked monk righted his _kinkan [2] _on his head, rearranged the two sutras he wore (he'd reclaimed the holy Seiten sutra from Gyokumen some time ago) and cleared his throat pointedly.

"If you don't mind, I didn't call you two here just to see you fight Goku like old times," he snapped acidly. "The _Sanbutsushin_ wanted to see all four of us…"

"…On matters of grave importance," Gojyo imitated Sanzo's low, bored tones. "Yeah, yeah, we know, so why don't we go in already?"

"Because I was waiting for you two to show up first and be properly introduced, you fool!" roared Sanzo, drawing the _harisen_ and slapping Gojyo a hearty blow across the noggin.

"Sanzo…you still keep that old _harisen_?" spluttered Hakkai, surprise overcoming decorum.

"Yep. Just like the old days," Sanzo said with a calm smile, patting the paper fan once or twice before shoving it back into his robes. "Now, let's GO."

-----o-----

Behind the heavy stone doors within Shayouden, or the Setting Sun Palace, was a portal to a plane very much different from this one. The only residents of this alternate plane were the Three Aspects or _Sanbutsushin_: Sila, the young woman who personified high conduct, Samadhi, androgynous youth who stood for the aspect of concentration and Panna, white-bearded and sage as you would expect of wisdom's human form. Their job was to span the grey area between Heaven and Earth, delivering the orders of Heaven down to the small beings born of dust that called themselves humans. It was then a voice, muffled by the thick iron doors but still clear and strong nonetheless, announced the presence of their audience.

"The envoy of the Northern Heavenly Emperor Genjyo Sanzo presents himself with his…companions." Sanzo called out, feeling very much the way he had several years back when he'd first been called in by the Aspects and ordered to take Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai west with him. They had a very strange way of making you feel very small and uncomfortable, whether unintentionally or not.

"31st Toua Genjou Sanzou; reformed criminal Cho Gonou, who man now calls Cho Hakkai; taboo child of the half-demons, Sa Gojou; heretic Son Gokuu, who caused the fall of Heaven 500 years ago; you will enter," rumbled a deep, stern voice from behind the doors as they opened of their own accord.

…Sanzo was leaning towards intentionally, at the moment.

The four men walked into the dim chamber. It was comparatively huge, high-ceilinged and lit only by dimly burning green-blue torches. Sanzo knelt, and the others followed suit. The torch flames flared suddenly, and Hakuryuu yelped in fright.

"Hakuryuu, hush," soothed his master.

The flames died down to reveal that the _Sanbutsushin had descended. Before the four (five if you add the dragon) loomed three giant heads—an old man's in the middle and those of a young woman and a youth of indeterminate gender flanking him._

"Genjyo Sanzo. Sha Gojyo. Cho Hakkai. Son Goku. Well met," Panna boomed out once more, looking down at them. "Once again, your services are needed to restore the peace of Tougenkyou."

"If you'll pardon my saying," Hakkai began, "Tougenkyou seems peaceful enough at the moment."

"It will not be so soon," Samadhi replied, eyes closed and expression calm as usual. "We have read the signs and felt the presence of a new danger. Two days ago, a pack of youkai descended upon South Tougenkyou and spirited away about 20 humans. They have since been identified as long-deceased souls from the lowest levels of Hell. The takings have continued, again by souls supposedly long-gone, and the only explanation for their presence here is that Avici is expanding." Sanzo seemed taken aback by this new piece of information, and sucked in his breath sharply.

"Avici? _Ne_, Sanzo, what's an Avici? Are they edible?" Goku asked, eyes wide and innocent.

"_Mugenjigoku,_" snapped Sanzo tersely. Now even Goku could fathom the severity of the problem. _Mugenjigoku_, Avici, _A Bi Di Yu_ and _Wu Jian Di Yu_ were all names for the last and lowest level of Buddhist hell – the Endless Hell. It was a dark, cold pit full of the most sinful souls guilty of the five heinous crimes: the slaughter of your father, mother or an arhat, the shedding of the Buddha's blood and the creation of disharmony among practitioners of the faith.

"But if Mugenjigoku is expanding, doesn't that just mean there are more souls down there?"

"No, Son Gokuu. The space itself is expanding far further than the newest intakes into Avici. Something is controlling it, giving it power. That person has been discovered to have connections to you four."

"Who? Who? Is it Gyuumaou?" asked Goku. "Chin Isou? _Kami-sama_? Rikudou?"

"No, none of these four. It was one of the demons you killed on your way—Go Dougan. He is using his spirit's dharmic power to influence the bounds of Avici. If he is not stopped, the barriers of Avici will eventually break, like a river breaks its banks," Samadhi continued, "and all its souls will escape upon Tougenkyou to wreak havoc. The physical forms of the souls sent up were crude and basic, and could not survive long in this environment, but we doubt this will remain the case for any subsequent sorties. It is not desirable to learn how many innocent men will die if the souls are strengthened further by their master."

"Genjou Sanzou, we now give you this decree from Tenkai," Panna rumbled. "You are to take your companions with you and quash the rebellion within Avici."

"We are not dead," Sanzo said slowly, quoting the obvious.

"You needn't be." A portal opened beneath the three heads, the shadows of three objects floating within it. "You will use this portal to go to Avici and return. Bring with you also those taken alive from Tougenkyou's lands. These tools we bestow upon you to be used to your advantage."

"As you will." Sanzo rose from his half-crouch and stepped towards the portal to take the objects. His hands closed around a small glass ball, a gourd full of some strange blue elixir and a sword.

"The glass ball, once broken, will activate the dharmic force needed to bring you back to this world," explained Sila. "The elixir is to be rubbed upon your weapons, Sanzou's bullets and that sword, for they will prove useless upon the errant souls otherwise."

"_Sumimasen_," began Hakkai, "but if we are meant to kill, er, destroy them…is the torture of Avici not meant to be endless?"

"Soul upon countless soul has been sent to Avici since the dawn of time," Samadhi said delicately. "Even Avici, as we have said, has its own preordained barriers. Cho Gonou, the sword is for you, for spirit force will not work against spirit force. After all…are you not well versed in the art of swordplay, or were you not so versed at one time before?"

He was indeed. Hakkai, or rather Gonou, remembered the slight weight of his old longsword in his palm, the way it had rested comfortably in his grip. The vibrations that rang up the blade as they cut through the flesh of 999 demons barring his way to save Kanan. The glint of pungent blood on tempered Japanese steel and the doubly metallic smell as another blade, a smaller _kyoujin_, shed more blood, only the blood of the one he had struggled so hard to save…

Yeah, sure he remembered, but all he did was nod, a simple, acceptant nod and taking up the sheathed sword, he fastened it to one of the belt loops in his trousers.

"You are ready. Time is wasting, so go forth and complete your mission. The fate of Tougenkyou is in your hands, Genjou Sanzou and company. Leave now."

The portal was big enough for one person to pass through at a time. Sanzo went first, after only the slightest pause to study the borders of their doorway into Avici. Goku took a few steps back, and then made a running leap through the shimmering gate. Hakkai walked through as calmly as he would've trotted through his own front door. Gojyo materialised his _shakujou_ and prepared to step through, but the Aspects called out to him.

"Taboo child of the half-demons, Sa Gojou, you will wait. There is something that we must warn you of, something that you must also keep secret from your fellows."

Gojyo whipped round and looked up. "Hn? What do y'want now?"

Panna looked a little nonplussed, but continued anyway. "If you intend to go on this journey, then we must warn you of something. One of the first things that alerted us to the situation, even before the kidnappings, was the strange presence we sensed hanging about you and the dwelling you share with Cho Gonou. One of the souls trapped in Avici has been found to actually be innocent of any wrongdoing. It last belonged to a half-demon female like yourself…and she has an _en [3]_ with you."

Now it was Gojyo's turn to look confused. "What's an _en_, if I may be so bold?"

Sila spoke. "An _en_, half-demon, is a karmic bond that flows between two souls, binding them spiritually, if not emotionally and physically, for the span of their mortal lives. It is hard to find your _en_ and even harder to dispel once discovered. You have already found three, but the bonds you share with Genjou Sanzou and your companions are of a much weaker kind. I speak of an en between different genders—your soulmate, in effect."

Gojyo was beginning to feel a little disturbed. "Emotionally and physically, eh? So that explains my dreams," he said _sotto voce_.

"If you go," Samadhi cut into his reverie, "how can we be sure that you will not be so emotionally affected as to jeopardise this mission?"

Gojyo's reply was to now smile a rakish smile, stick a cigarette into his mouth and light it up. "Because this is the first time I've heard of this _en_ crap, and I've never believed in that kinda thing."

Picking up his weapon, Gojyo walked through the portal and was swallowed up by the light.

"The _en_ doesn't care if it's believed in or not," Samadhi muttered peevishly.

"There, there, Samadhi, you tried," Sila soothed, closing her eyes and fading into the dimness with her counterparts. The blue torches flickered and snuffed themselves out. The abode of the _Sanbutsushin_ was once again empty and silent.

-----o-----

[1] A combination of the conversation we got to hear when they first met in the anime/manga and the first few lines in the G-Fantasy Comic CD for Saiyuuki (Vol. 1).

[2] The gold hat/crown thingie.

[3] First seen mentioned to author in Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golding, 1997). The concept seemed quite nice. 


	3. Chapt 2

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: ** Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

**CHAPTER TWO: DÉJÀ VU**

Gojyo emerged from the portal into a roughly hewn tunnel of rock. Blue-green torches very much like those found in the chamber of the _Sanbutsushin_ threw faint, flickering shadows on the wall. The other three were sitting or leaning against the wall in various positions (Gojyo almost tripped over Hakuryuu), and Goku and Hakkai were rubbing their weapons with the strange blue elixir while Sanzo was dipping every one of his considerable stock of crystal demon-killing bullets in a small saucer of the stuff. [1]

"Sorry I'm late," Gojyo drawled.

"If I didn't have to paint every one of these with the elixir, I'd have already shot one through your head, slowpoke," growled Sanzo, but no more grumpily than usual.

"Well ex-key-yoooooze me if the _Sanbutsushin_ called me back at the last moment!" Gojyo snapped, also no more tersely than usual.

"What for?" asked Goku, looking very interested.

Gojyo remembered Panna's warning not to say a word. "Nothing that concerns you," he replied with an irritatingly superior grin. He took some of the potion and rubbed it on the blades of his _shakujou—_the weapon glowed blue momentarily and then faded to its original lustre. "Now shall we get going?"

"Aww, c'mon, Gojyo!" whined Goku. "You know real well I don't like secrets!"

"Ch', fine, fine. If I tell you will you shut up?" grumbled the half-demon. His young companion brightened up instantly, his nodding head a brown-and-gold blur. Gojyo half-bent, cupped a hand to Goku's ear and mumbled something very quickly.

The demon boy's eyes widened considerably as the crimson-haired troublemaker went on whispering, and he stopped him well before he could finish. "OK, OK, OK, stop! I've heard quite enough!" he spluttered, and grabbing his Nyoibou, raced towards Sanzo, who had already given up on his companions and set off into the darkness ahead. Hakkai gave Gojyo a strange look.

"Just what did you tell him?"

"Not what the Aspects told me, that's for sure," was all Gojyo would say. His eyes twinkled something suspicious. [2]

-----o-----

The four began their trek down deeper into the tunnel, and it got progressively dimmer, danker and stuffier. Even Hakkai was beginning to feel hot under the collar in the claustrophobic environment. After several hundred metres, they arrived at a large, imposing set of stone gates. Barring their way were two very strange men…if they were at all men.

"Halt! State your identities and purpose!" the first one barked out. The being was dressed like a soldier, and stood on two legs, but that was where any human resemblance ended. Its unshod feet were large, sturdy cloven hooves, and the meaty hands gripping its large halberd had five similarly stony digits. Its bones were clad in no shortage of rippling muscle, and its head was much like an ox, horns and all. The being's eyes were pupil-less, and a fiery red. Goku concluded it was a relative of _Gyuumaou,_ the Ox Demon King.

"Pest control people," was Gojyo's quick reply. Sanzo glared at him and dug a bony elbow into the _erogappa_'s ribs.

"Genjyo Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Son Goku and Sha Gojyo, sent down by order of Tenkai to perform…as this idiot here puts it so succinctly…pest control on the matter of Avici Hell."

The demonic guard seemed to literally deflate with relief upon hearing that, and then sprang right back up in a stiff salute. "My apologies for not recognising you sooner, Sanzo-_sama_," he spluttered, "and please forgive my rudeness! Ever since Avici began expanding, things have become even more chaotic than they usually are, and all of us are nervous. My name is Gyuutou—Ox-Head—and this is Mamen—Horse-Face. Both of us guard the gates to the Underworld." [3]

Mamen nodded and bowed. He looked no less human than Gyuutou, but seemed a little more cultured. The ikkou heard his hooves clopping slightly as he stepped back in his bow, and the head set on his sturdy neck was really that of a horse, complete with a blaze of white down the centre of his nose, and a long, silky mane cascading down his back. The forelock that fell across pupil-less eyes like Gyuutou's was in extreme disarray, and as he talked, he puffed and snorted nervously much like his terrestrial counterpart.

"Your presence is most welcome here," he whickered softly as he lowered the battleaxe still clutched in his right hoof-hand. "It is becoming harder and harder for all of our levels to contain the Avici rebels. Some of them have already escaped to the upper levels, and from what I hear, they have seized control of the seventh level for their army. Our guards are in shambles, the torturers are the ones being tortured, Enma's tearing his hair out…" He drew a deep breath and checked himself. "Forgive me. I'm sure you want to get right down to business, although I am shamed to admit I am rather doubtful just what it is that three mortals can do against all the souls in Avici. _This_ little fellow, though, I remember well."

"W-Who? Me?" squeaked Goku, eyes wide.

"500 years ago and more, Konzen Douji was sent down here to claim some paperwork from Enma himself. He brought his protégé along…and…er…well, I'm not sure if you remember, Son Goku, but you tweaked Enma's moustache, spilled ink on Konzen Douji-_sama_'s paperwork and generally cause havoc down here." [4]

"I told ya you were trouble, _saru_," teased Gojyo.

"I don't remember all those things!" Goku countered tersely.

"That _is _possible," mused Gyuutou. "I hear after The Incidents, they sealed away all his memories of it and shut him in that cave on Gogyou-_zan_."

"Oh yes, that's right, that was what happened. Now that I come to think of it…don't they remind you of those other officers Konzen Douji used to hang around with? Marshal Tenpou…General Kenren…"

"Oh yes…they do indeed. Perhaps the _en_…"

"Gentlemen, shall we get down to business instead of wasting time on idle prattle?" Sanzo interrupted coolly, dangling the gun off one finger and smiling dangerously.

Gyuutou grinned nervously. "Er, but of course. Yes. Time is of the essence. No doubt about it. Ah, follow us, please."

-----o-----

Gyuutou and Mamen led the ikkou through the stone gates and into the compound of the Underworld. There was a flurry of activity going on around them—souls being shepherded along by bristling guards, the beasts assigned to hell and its tortures taken from their posts for safety, their peeved cries filling the dank air, officials of hell running around trying to get things done, and far above them all, the ruler of the Underworld, King Enma himself sat atop his throne, surveying all and deep in thought.

"Your Majesty," Mamen and Gyuutou said, prostrating themselves before the throne, "these are the ones ordered Tenkai to subjugate the souls rebelling in Avici." Enma looked up, his thoughts interrupted. He wasn't at all bad looking, considering the place he had to govern. Although the face was a little care-worn, with the slightest of wrinkles upon his forehead and at the corners of his eyes, the skin was still smooth and unblemished, like a child's. He was dressed in clean, flowing robes, his moustache and beard were well kept and trimmed, his sleek salt-and-pepper hair was tied back in a bun and his eyes held a highly dignified spark.

"Oh, it's you, Son Goku," he murmured. "No more tweaking our moustache, if you please."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," protested the poor lad. "We just came here as ordered to solve the problems."

"You will watch your tongue around His Majesty King Enma, mortal!" Gyuutou cautioned.

Enma waved his faithful guard off. "Leave it be, Gyuutou. We don't mind." He then turned to Goku and said, "As strong as you are, Son Goku, even with your limiter intact, what can you and your three companions do? This is not just a simple matter of an errant soul running wild. Death has not quenched any of his rancour—somehow, he has survived the torture of Avici until now and kept his consciousness intact. A strong soul, stronger than we gave him credit for. It will not be simple to defeat him or the souls he now has swayed towards his control."

"Sure it will!" Goku beamed confidently, waving his Nyoibou about. "We've done it before, all four of us together. Don't worry, Your Majesty—we're on the case."

Enma smiled—he seemed suddenly weary now, as if a mask had dropped from him. "We are glad, then, Son Goku, Genjyo Sanzo. Our finest troops await your command."

It was Sanzo's turn to come forward and speak. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, we have no need for your troops," he declined, choosing his words very carefully. "We will, and always will, fight alone."

"Hey, speak for yourself!" protested Gojyo, hissing angrily under his breath. "We could use the firepower!"

"If the whole of Hell can be sent into uproar because of Go Dougan, what makes you think even Hell's finest troops could do anything against him, cockroach?" Sanzo hissed back. Gojyo fell silent—he hated to admit it, but the _bouzu_ had a good point there.

Enma appeared not to have heard seemed only slightly taken aback. "Of course, Genjyo Sanzo, we understand. Your principle of non-attachment is most exemplary."

"It's not a case of non-attachment…more like I don't need anybody else in the way of my bullets," came the monk's calm reply. Hakkai cringed at his fellow's bluntness and Gyuutou let out a curse and threw himself at Sanzo.

"Gyuutou, enough! Leave things be," Enma interrupted again with an impatient wave of his sleeve. He had not ruled hell for a thousand ages without developing some thickness to his skin. Besides, this one wasn't dead yet, and therefore was not under his power. "Do as you please. We wish you the best of luck, and rest assured that you only need call for our troops to be fighting at your side. I only warn you now, though: you had best stay good when you go back up to the living, or you will find your existence down here with us before reincarnation VERY unpleasant for your indignities."

"I would not expect any less."

"Avici is only accessible through this portal before you," Enma continued, raising his hand and gesturing towards another set of gates not far away. "Waste no more time and be on your way."

Sanzo and the gang bowed, stepped away and walked towards the gates. Gyuutou and Mamen went forward to open them, but as their hooves touched the ornately carved handles, they began to vibrate of their own accord. The whole door soon began to judder on its hinges, and the doors were suddenly flung right open. Gyuutou and Mamen were bowled right over and crashed into the _ikkou_. A high, keening wail pierced the silence, and was followed by a very similar symphony of grunts, squeals and moans. Pale, glowing eyes could be seen coming at the six through the darkness microseconds before a horde of undead erupted upon them like a furious wave. Their eyes glowed an eerie, empty gold-white colour, and they screeched like banshees at the sight of the _ikkou_.

Sanzo locked and loaded his gun. Gojyo and Goku summoned their weapons. Hakkai unsheathed his sword.

"And here we go," Hakkai murmured.

-----o-----

[1] Spandex space saucer *grin*

[2] Seeing it's Gojyo, no prizes for guessing what kind of garbage he fed Goku. Must have been something about Dougan's evil habits. ^_~ *sprouts horns and little pointy tail*

[3] Gyuutou and Mamen are the Chinese Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards to the Underworld.

[4] Because the original Sun Wukong…while he was still just plain Handsome Monkey King…had a dream in which he marched down to hell and crossed his name and several other monkeys' names off the registers of Death, in effect making him immortal. 

As usual, review thanks --

**Kurtain** -- First reviewer, so thanks a bunch! There will be a few very quick cameos, so if you like the oilier Saiyuki villains keep an eye out for an upcoming chapter in which they will all feature.

**Ashura** -- Unfortunately, Kanan is not down here. Although suicide is considered a great sin in Buddhist hell it doesn't qualify you for Avici. I update!


	4. Chapt 3

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: ** Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. Watch out for flying youkai limbs, organs and bodily secretions. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

**CHAPTER 3: PAPER PLANES AND FUDA WOUNDS**

"Oo, look, Hakkai…it's that guy who's the reason you're wearing that monocle."

"_Aa, sou desu ne_. And there's his big brother, too."

"Dug his eyeballs out, did you? Gnarly."

"Look look look, Sanzo, don't you recognise that guy?"

"Should I, _bakazaru_?"

"Yeah, of course! Those were the VERY FIRST ONES WE FOUGHT! There's their leader!" [1]

"Hmm. Now that you mention it, it IS that egoistical bastard. I'm surprised you remembered, stomach-brain monkey."

"San-zouuuuuuu!!!"

"In any case…" Sanzo whipped out his pistol and pulled the trigger. The modified bullet struck the first demon right between the eyes, and he screamed and disintegrated into a pile of silvery ash. "I suppose we should give them _some_ form of acknowledgement."

"VERY definitely," Gojyo grinned, noticing in the crowd the very sexy female spider demons that had attacked them in Kouchin. [2]

"It's only polite, isn't it, everyone?" smiled Hakkai.

"Well then…let's give 'em a greeting they'll never forget!" Goku shouted confidently, and raising his Nyoibou brought it down on five demons' backs.

Immediately, chaos erupted. Hakkai threw himself into the fray with his sword drawn. The first one attacked with amazing speed and broke through his guard, raking its claws across Hakkai's cheek. The burning wound made Hakkai wince. Parrying another series of blows, he drove a fist into the demon's midriff and followed it up with another thrust of his sword. The demon bucked wildly in pain, shrieked and dematerialised much as Sanzo's had. Praise the blue elixir. Hakkai stepped back a few paces, wiping the blood on his cheek off on his sleeve as Hakuryuu flapped, snapped and blew small plumes of flame at the more persistent foes.

"They really do have physical form…but _yare yare, _honestly, people just get ruder and ruder every day," he sighed, slicing a persistent demon down the chest.

"And Hakkai's character gets worse and worse," Sanzo replied unexpectedly, kicking another one aside to shoot at the one behind it.

"Does it really, Sanzo?" grinned Hakkai serenely.

"Sanzo! Watch out!" yelled Goku, leaping up behind Sanzo and swinging up the Nyoibou. A battleaxe-wielding ugly snarled gruffly, cheated of its prize, but the snarl was cut abruptly short as the priest lazily shifted his gun to the other hand and sent a slug through its skull.

"Don't expect any rewards for that, _saru_."

"I am NOT a monkey!" protested Goku, swinging his Nyoibou again and neatly decapitating a few more attackers. "Just pay me back sometime soon—" he paused to crack open the skulls of two demons trying to interrupt— "'cause I charge high interest!"

Sanzo's reply was to shoot six demons, reload and shoot six more. "That, for your information, was originally MY line."

Gojyo was having quite the time himself. It had been a long time since he'd had a good, old-fashioned dust-up like this—he'd never thought he'd missed all the conflict. His _shakujou_'s blade sang merrily through the vile spirits' ranks as bits of ectoplasm flew everywhere before becoming white, dusty ash. The half-demon had to do some fancy footwork to avoid a particularly irritating group of demons that insisted on clutching at his trousers and trying to trip him.

"Go to Hell, all of ya…or at least get back in there and take your torture like MEN!" he yelled, kicking out and jabbing the _shakujou_ at them mercilessly. His blade cut a perfect arc through the air as more ash went flying.

Suffice it to say that it didn't take more than half an hour for the four to wade through the mess of enraged ghosts and demons, Sanzo shooting one last bullet into one of the still-twitching attackers. Gyuutou and Mamen were, for lack of a better expression, staring at them pop-eyed. Sanzo noticed, and turned to them.

"Never seen a Sanzo killing demons on the job before?" he drawled laconically, enjoying a post-battle cigarette.

"That wasn't even a warm-up!" Gojyo chortled.

"I didn't quite get all the kinks out of these muscles," sighed Hakkai, opening and closing his fists several times.

Goku wasted no time and leapt towards the portal. "Well, we got that problem finished so we'll be on our way, Y'Majesty! Sanzo! Gojyo, Hakkai, come on! Let's go—AAARRRRGH!" The _saru_ had leapt straight into the portal to Avici and plummeted into nothingness.

Hakuryuu flapped his way into the portal, looked down, squeaked and dashed straight back to Hakkai's shoulder, chirping frantically. Hakkai poked his head in and then waved his hand round, feeling for a floor. There was none. "It's a straight drop down, everyone," he informed them a little lamely.

The three gave Enma a confused look, and the ruler of the Underworld's response was to shrug. "It's the easiest way down. We usually just kick them into the portal."

-----o-----

After fifteen minutes of free falling, the _ikkou_ finally reached the bottom of the pit that lead towards the true Avici. The moment Sanzo regained his breath, he whipped out his harisen and swatted Goku and Gojyo across the head.

"THAT is for trying to look up my robes as I was coming down…idiots," he muttered.

"Nice to know you still wear jeans, _bouzu_."

"All right, everyone," Hakkai began in his don't-make-me-come-over-there-and-play-mommy voice, igniting a spark of _ki_ in his hand. It wasn't very bright, but it made some headway through the thick darkness. They could now see the emptiness of Avici stretching before them, dark and silent. Goku suddenly realised how utterly cold it was, and shivered slightly.

"So this is Avici," Hakkai broke the silence, his words fairly light and conversational in tone.

"Nice place, for the worst torture y'can receive after kicking the bucket," mused his red-haired compatriot. [3]

"This can't be ALL," came Goku's famous last words as he dematerialised his Nyoibou. It was then a something-or-other swooped out of the darkness, whizzed past his cheek and fluttered to the floor. A line of scarlet blood welled up from the lightly tanned skin, and Son Goku let out a yowl of pain.

"It~TAAAAAAAAAIIIIII!!!" he wailed, one hand going to his cheek. "What WAS that? It felt like a piece of metal or something!"

Hakkai drew his _ki_-bearing hand closer to the wound, shedding light on Goku's face. It was a shallow cut, but it was quite long and bleeding quite a bit. It looked as if it had been inflicted with the edge of a very thin, sharp knife…

"Your 'piece of metal' is a paper plane, you idiot," Gojyo snorted, fishing the fragile missile off the floor. "Honestly, is your threshold of pain that lo—OW! Shit!" Another plane whizzed by, catching Gojyo across the eye with its wing. He bit back the surprisingly severe sting of pain and touched his fingers to his eye. They came back damp and a little sticky with blood.

Sanzo snatched the plane from Gojyo's fingers and studied it in the dim light of Hakkai's ki ball. "It's a talisman," he muttered in disbelief. Strange and archaic Sanskrit tantras were painted all over it, and Sanzo recognised with increasing dread that it was folded in the style of his master Koumyou Sanzo's handiwork—slim, streamlined and tapered with angled wings and a small V-shaped area between the bases. "It's one of those charms designed for sealing in errant souls. Someone's sending these to either kill us, or buy time. I'd opt for the latter."

As if answering Sanzo's suspicions, two more planes came flying out of the darkness. One cut Sanzo across the bridge of his nose and the other stalled deeply at the last minute, dropping in a sharp arc and slicing deeply into Hakkai's fingers. The demon-convert flinched, and his ki ball fragmented and went out.

"These…hurt a lot more than they should," Hakkai murmured softly, sucking at his wounded fingers. There was a faint bitter edge to the blood that reminded him of the smell of paper money burnt at Tougenkyou funerals. [4] "I suppose they need to have a greater effect to be used on spirits."

Upon formation of a second ki ball, it was revealed that the monk had a hand clapped to his nose, his fingers already tinted with dry red flakes. "No shit, Sherlock," he muttered sarcastically, shaking his gun out of his sleeve into the palm of his free hand.

There was a faint rustling sound like that of shuffling papers before talisman planes exploded by the dozens from the darkness. They flew straight through the ikkou's ranks, battering and slashing them. Hakkai flung up an arm to shield his face, but the plane's knife-edged wings sliced through the leather arm shields like they were made out of paper and an angry red slash appeared on his wrist. Goku ducked one, but it skimmed the top of his head, shearing off countless small bits of fluffy brown hair from his head, and then dipped sharply and cut his inner elbow. His howl of outrage was matched minutes later by Gojyo's as two more swooped simultaneously at him, shearing through the thin material of his cotton vest.

"THAT WAS M'BEST VEST, YOU F---IN' EXCUSE FOR ORIGAMI!" he yelled, and swiped furiously at the planes buzzing around him. It did no good—they merely dodged his blows, as if they were sentient and purposely mocking him, and swooped towards him again, cutting his arms several times. Running out of ideas, he sent his _shakujou_'s crescent blade a-soaring through the darkness, but somehow the planes all banked away at just the right angle for the blade to miss completely. "This cannot be happening," he cursed, wincing as another one cut another slash into his cheek just seconds after he'd swatted it away.

"It is!" Goku cursed, batting at his inanimate assailants with his Nyoibou. He was having as much success as Gojyo was. Hakkai was alternating sword slashes with small _ki_ blasts, and Sanzo was shooting paper planes left and right, but no blow could take them out and the planes kept on coming.

"Argh! Sanzo, what are we going to do?" Hakkai fell back under a fresh wave of talisman planes. Small spots of blood were dotting his green shirt and white sash. "There doesn't seem to be any end to these, and the more we dodge, the more that come!"

"Use the Makai Tenjou or something against them!" Goku suggested, adding his two _zeni_. [5]

"It won't work, fool monkey! You expect a sutra to work against talismans?! Do I—" A thought suddenly struck Sanzo. Seeing the charms were meant to subdue, and nothing much else, there might be a way to stop them coming.

By the eighteen arhats, this was going to _HURT_…

Much to the other three's surprise, Sanzo ducked another plane, shoved his gun into his considerable sleeve pocket and stood up, stretching out his arms. The planes flew straight towards the defenceless monk by the droves, lopping off stray bits of blonde hair, ripping his robes and cutting through his skin and even his armour, but he didn't flinch, keeping his head bowed and letting them attack.

"Sanzo! What are y'doing? Those planes will turn you into sushi!" Goku cried out, still under assault himself.

There was no answer from the monk, just a slight turning upwards of the face that beckoned attention.

_Watch_.

****The number of planes fluttering towards Sanzo began to taper off, dwindling to a few errant ones that just fluttered gently past him, not even breaking the skin as they brushed against his forehead. The last one swished gracefully down to the floor and lay there, silent. No more came to bother him.

"Wha—?!" Gojyo and Goku couldn't believe what they saw. Hakkai, however, had some inkling.

"Subjugation," was all he said.

"Precisely," came the reply as Sanzo wiped blood from some of the fresher cuts on his face and neck. He hid a pained wince. "The charms are meant to subdue, and subdue alone. If it thinks its target is already down for the count, it will cease its efforts. Let them come, all of you. Show no fear. Show no pain, because they feed on emotions like those. Just let them come."

Gojyo didn't quite seem to like the idea, but he followed along with Hakkai. He closed his eyes, feeling the sharp and tearing wings of the paper planes nick his ears, arms and chest over and over. The stinging was like that from a million thin blades. Gradually, however, they began to steadily decrease, and the last one stopped just a little bit short of his eye and dropped to the ground. Gojyo kicked at it derisively and snarled deep in his throat. The green-eyed demon was very used to hiding his emotions, and it didn't take long for the planes to cease their efforts on Hakkai. Goku, however, was still getting battered on all sides.

"Sanzo, I don't like this idea of yours!"

"Do you want to be the first person in history to bleed to death by paper plane?" Sanzo shouted in reply.

"Grrr, arghh, ch'…ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT I'LL DO IT!" Goku crouched down, curled up in a ball and lay still. It was after a full five minutes before the planes finally ceased their attack, and another minute or two later that Goku was able to stand. His shirt was terribly torn, and—wonder of wonders—even his limiter had a few scuffmarks on them that definitely weren't there before.

"Goku, are you all right?" asked Hakkai.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he winced, sucking at some of the deeper wounds on his arms. "Don't bother," continued the youth, seeing Hakkai beginning to channel healing _ki_ into his free palm, "save that for after I kick seven shades of shit outta that bastard Dougan."

Sanzo, Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai looked into the depths of Avici. There was still some way to go before they reached the true core of the deepest hell, where Dougan must surely be waiting ever so patiently for them.

"This is NOT my idea of a good joke," Sanzo murmured under his breath, and cocking the hammer on his gun, he set forth to confront his errant ex-enthusiast.

-----o-----

[1] Issue 8, pgs. 30-34/Chapter 43: 'Be Lacking.'

[2] First story arc (First Game).

[3] Avici is indeed dark…but it is also cramped, hot (I think), stinky and very, very noisy—full of screaming souls, you understand. Like I said—took quite a few liberties with the portrayal of Avici for this one. Ah well, if a pig can become a gentleman and a monk can become a corrupted blonde bishounen, anything's possible. ^_~

[4] Chinese custom of burning 'hell money' for the dead one to spend, or bribe the guards down under.

[5] Ancient Japanese currency. 

And to my reviewers... 

**Kurtain and Ashura** -- To answer both of your questions, Avici is reserved those who commit the five unforgivable crimes in Buddhism: killing your mother, father or an arhat (one of the Buddha's 18 helpers), the shedding of the Buddha's blood and creating disharmony amongst practitioners of the faith. If Kanan's down here at all, she would be in the first level, that of "Retributive Justice". That's the one for punishing the taking of life. (Got the info from )


	5. Chapt 4

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

**CHAPTER 4: SECOND CONTACT**

Avici wasn't exactly the cheeriest place on Earth. The best way to describe it would be a festering cesspool, or at least that's what humans thought. In reality, hell was only what you thought it was, thereby custom-fitting the torture to the individual. Two souls sitting next to each other could be screaming independently for heat and cold, darkness and light to alleviate their intense sufferings. Admittedly, Dougan had had no thoughts about the hell he was sure to see, only consumed by his desire for vengeance. Hence, Avici, to him, though not exactly the cheeriest place on Earth, was at least home; a quiet, silent space as boundless as infinity, somewhere to plot and plan and gather strength. Dimly burning torches cast light upon the cold stone flooring and rough floor made of solid granite blocks. Spartan, yes, but it suited his tastes—utilitarian, basic, cold and dry and plain and heartless. He looked over it all from his throne on a dais, much like Enma's own several levels above.

Dougan's greatest strength when alive had been his ability to extend his own ideas to others (or at least try valiantly), easing them into his own little Utopia, and this was exactly what he had done with the other souls—united their scattered thoughts into a single, forceful will to conquer the world they had long ago left. It had taken years to assemble them all and convince them of the rightness of this plan, but it had been worth it. Now, his target was almost in his grasp.

"Mas…ter…Dou…gan…" The messenger burst in through another door, gasping for breath, and almost flung himself at the demon's feet. "News…from…the…others…"

Dougan stirred lazily on his throne. "What IS it, Han?" I need my sleep if I'm going to look beautiful for Sanzo-_sama_." There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice—any respect he held for the monk was now tinged with vengefulness.

"Master, they are here," Han Kang spluttered, trying to catch whatever breath he had left. "Our front guard has been completely decimated by them, and they are closing in fast!"

Dougan bolted upright. "What about the…extra defences?"

"Our spies report they struggled against them for a while and are wounded, but they got through those too."

"Hot damn!" spat Dougan bitterly. "I was hoping I could watch Sanzo-_sama_ bleed to death right in front of me…but ah well," he continued, his voice dropping to its normal, fluid wheedle. "Han Kang, take our…guests…to the chamber. Summon Chin and his son, and ask that they move their men out. Ask one of your men to bring Silver Horn's keeper, what's his name, Kaiganjin, to me, and Ken'yuu with him. Their skills will prove useful in the final preparations. [1] Now go."

"Yes master Dougan," Han replied with a deep bow and left him. Dougan looked around, cat-like youkai eyes scanning the area. Darkness surrounded him much like the black void within his heart—amazingly comforting. He didn't feel like he was in Hell or Heaven, just a sense that he was where he rightfully belonged. Soon, he would be able to share that wondrous feeling with the other inhabitants of Tougenkyou. A smile curved his lips, bitter and sinister. He decided that daydreaming could always wait and called out for his most prized servant.

"Houran? Houran, show yourself!" he yelled impatiently. In a small corner of Avici, the maiden stirred. Her garnet hair, loose from its bun, fell almost to the ground. She walked towards her master with a step lighter from fear than grace, eyes of ruby beauty dull and lifeless.

"What do you wish of me, m-m-master?" Houran whispered almost inaudibly, the last words nearly choking her.

"Nothing much, really. A much simpler task than what I last asked you to do. You will go forth from my chambers and receive Genjo Sanzo-_sama_ and his companions for me. We must greet them properly, child. I don't want Sanzo-_sama_ angry with me again if you make a mistake. Bring them to me. There is so much we have to catch up on."

Houran's heart did a small skip as she thought of the fact that Sha Gojyo would be with them, but she forced down the small, forbidden joy she had felt. "Must I?" she asked in a small voice.

Dougan shot a hand out, gripped Houran around the forehead and forced her head upwards, glaring down at her with his ashen-grey eyes. "If you want to keep your sanity, girl, you _will_."

-----o-----

Sanzo's fingers sneaked slowly to the trigger of his gun when he heard the footsteps. If they were from an assailant, it would make the ninth assault on their person since they passed through the paper planes.

"Not ANOTHER one!" Goku began, but Sanzo swatted him quickly on the head and dragged him towards the side of the corridor. If the attacker had not yet spotted them, they could utilise the advantage of surprise, and perhaps numbers. Hakkai and Gojyo, too, melted into the shadows and waited.

The footsteps drew closer, soft and light. Doubtless, the assailant was used to stealth in its movements. The ikkou didn't here the clink of metal that might signify a weapon—it was unusually unprepared, or it could just mean that the assailant had other means at hand.

For a brief moment, Gojyo saw shadow darkening shadow, and leapt upon the form, tackling it with a crash and a thump. Acting quickly, he firmly locked the back of his opponent's knees, effectively preventing any further struggle. "Gotcha!" he yelled triumphantly, only to almost get his nose sliced off by a _kyoujin_, a wide-bladed dagger.

"Do you have nothing better to do than attack your kind?" a woman's voice snapped tensely. Gojyo almost dropped the _shakujou_ when he heard it, and one word instantly flew to his lips.

"H…Houran?"

Clink! The _kyoujin_ clattered to the ground. "G…_Gojyo-san ja nai desu ka_?" [2]

Hakkai approached the two, shedding light on the _shikigami_'s face. The shock in Gojyo's eyes at seeing her was mirrored in Houran's own as they stared up at their 'assailant' in dire shock.

"Well then…" Gojyo drawled slowly, suddenly at a loss for words. "So I get to be on top this time when we meet, eh?"

"Gojyo!" hissed Hakkai, colouring at the cheeks.

"Get off me please, Gojyo-_san_," Houran replied crisply. _Shikigami_ do not blush. She wriggled out from underneath him and dusted herself off.

"Ah, Houran!" Goku exclaimed, eyes widening.

Sanzo quickly changed tack and shoved his gun back into his sleeve. "I wouldn't exactly expect to see you down in this dump," he said, mirroring Goku's sentiments. "What are you doing here?"

Houran swallowed, ignored the question and recited her piece. "Dougan-_s…sama…_sent me here to bring you all to him. He wishes to greet you."

"Greet. Yeah. Ha ha ha," Gojyo snorted. "Twisted bastard can greet the business end of my…"

"Now, now, Gojyo," Hakkai interrupted with a fixed grin cold enough to sustain nitrogen in its liquid state, "we can let him meet that business end soon enough. Don't spoil the surprise." It was clear he hadn't completely wiped from his mind the disgusting images of Dougan prancing around in a dress similar to his beloved Kanan's. He then turned to Houran and gave her a warmer, much gentler smile. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Houran-_san_?"

The _shikigami_ forced a little smile and nodded slightly. "It has indeed. My greetings to you, Hakkai-_san_, Sanzo-_sama_, Goku-_san_, Gojyo-_san_…" Her voice was calm, uninflected. "Come. Let's go. I have kept Dougan-_sama_ waiting long enough."

Houran silently led Sanzo and company through the winding corridors of Avici. The darkness, emptied of its usual population, only held the sound of breathing and footsteps. Amazingly, no more sorties came to attack them. Goku grew curious and gave voice to these doubts.

"Dougan-_sama_'s men recognise me as his _shi_…servant," she explained. "Anyone they see with me, they are not allowed to harm. They know Dougan-_sama_ deals with such people personally."

"Lay off the _sama_, why don't you?" Gojyo cut in, lighting a cigarette. "It's not like we think particularly highly of him."

Houran bowed her head slightly, not changing her pace. "Forgive me. It is not my will, but an obligation," she replied softly. "I am still bound to him as a _shikigami_. Yes, even in Avici. While he is still my master, I have to obey him."

"We'll spring you for sure after Dougan is put down for good, Houran…count on it. Word of a _kappa_." Gojyo's voice was surprisingly husky.

Instantly, and surprisingly, Houran whipped around to face him with eyes blazing in mad fury. "You will attempt no such thing," she managed to splutter.

"If you actually want to stay here, you're a lot weirder than I thought," Gojyo retorted, a bit confused and offended.

"What is the use of wasting your attention on one who has no hope left? There is no point to it. What has happened and what will happen cannot be changed. I have already accepted my fate…"

"…Which is to be stuck with that bastard in the worst level of hell for eternity? What happened to the Houran who wanted to live? What happened to the Houran who wanted to prove she HAD a life somewhere in there, eh?" Gojyo's brows dipped dangerously downwards in an angry glower, and he jabbed her sharply in the chest. He was rewarded with a stunning slap.

In the silence that ensued, you could _hear_ the air molecules skidding to a dead stop.

An angry red mark stood out on Gojyo's cheek as the anger leaked away from him. Houran dared a glance up at the man's face and immediately regretted it. Those eyes were so full of concern, shock and sorrow that it hurt. Still, she managed the words somehow, angry and short as they were. "That Houran, Gojyo-_san_, is not in Avici; she is in a place far worse. I cannot expect you to understand that, nor can I force you."

"Houran…" Gojyo began gruffly. He would have said more—a LOT more—if Goku hadn't cut in just then.

"Gojyo, will you never break your disgusting habits?" he grumbled. "Look at you, hitting on a _ghost_—!"

The moment Gojyo whipped round, crimson eyes blazing like heated magma, Goku knew he'd said the wrong thing. He would have definitely made his excuses if Houran had not stopped him gently with an outstretched arm.

"It's all right, Goku-_san_. What you say is quite true—I'm just another spirit here. A spirit." She emphasised the last word, wondering if Gojyo had noticed. A half-demon…a man and a shikigami, together? Impossible! The relationship layered taboo upon taboo. A _shikigami_, rightfully speaking, was a creature already dead from the world, whatever life force it possessed artificial. It hurt immensely to have him here by her, in flesh and blood and real life, when she knew they could never be together in this lifetime. Happiness and sorrow intermingled inside her as she walked on, trying her best to ignore her fellow half-demon. "_Onegai_, Gojyo-_san_," she murmured, turning away from him again, "don't make things harder than they already are. Let's go."

Mathematics had never been the _kappa_'s strong point, but he put two and two together easily enough. With a silent, small shrug, he shoved his hands in his pockets and tromped along resolutely, ignoring the stares of the other three.

Houran bit her lip, tasting blood all of a sudden. So close. She had to keep going in this way, even if it broke the one person who had shown her any care in long, gloomy years, even if it broke the half-demon. She would make sure that he would live.

_Love has never needed words to speak, ever since man first drew breath_; She'd forgotten who'd told her that before—possibly one of the visiting priests her father had had an affinity to listen to [3]—but she shooed away the thought and quickened her pace. Although she didn't at all want to lead the _ikkou_ into a trap when they had done so much to try and stop Dougan before, not doing so would destroy her last chance to put things right. Dougan was not the only one with time on his hands and thoughts to kill it with—her father, the late Houmaou had not neglected his daughter's education and she still possessed a fairly sharp mind. It just didn't serve Dougan like her body still did.

She had made up her mind over this a long time ago, in fact several days after her awakening two years back. Some things would have to go, some things would need changing…but not quite yet.

-----o-----

Dougan waited impatiently for his _shikigami_ to arrive with news, rubbing his fingers along the smooth edge of his long axe. All around him, souls waited in tense anticipation. Many stood on the dangerous precipice between sanity and madness—at the most, some ran on empty and autopilot, including many of his generals. Dougan smiled a thin smile to himself as he thought about this. How lucky he had known so much darkness that Avici seemed only a step into the deeper end of the pool. For once in his life, everything was under his grip and perfect control, from his trusted generals serving him for a chance at salvation, to his most humble lackeys, driven to fight in their craze for freedom...and their craze for the Sanzo-_ikkou_'s blood.

All of a sudden, the beast Silver Horn let out a growl and pulled away from the group of fighters, saliva dripping from its hungry jaws. Kaiganjin pulled it back with his dark Buddhist rosary and soothed it with gentle words. "Dougan, our friends are here to play," he murmured gently.

"Ah," Dougan grunted. He rose from his place, taking up his weapon, a large and ornate axe. "Kenyuu, how be our guests?"

"Sleeping like babies in the chamber, Dougan," the man purred, smiling in a very oily and self-contented fashion.

"Excellent. Now let them come."

No sooner said than done. With a resounding crash, all four of the Sanzo-_ikkou_ kicked the great doors to the core of hell open. Old, burned-off talismans were peeling away from the wood, signs that Dougan had been tampering with the seals upon him and his fellow criminals in Avici. In an instant, all the souls in Avici rose up as if to swallow them, stopped only by Dougan's presence.

"Welcome, Genjyo Sanzo and his companions," Dougan sneered, putting a bitter edge on the last word. "I sincerely hope that you will enjoy your stay here…because after I'm done, you'll wish you had never pushed me aside."

"Just you try it and see," Sanzo growled. Dougan ignored him.

"Houran, that is all. You may go."

Houran felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster as she looked up, looked at Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai, Gojyo and then Dougan. "I may really go? You will not need my subsequent services?"

Dougan laughed. "No, child, I need you no longer. I have achieved my goals."

"As you wish, master."

Having said this, Houran took a few graceful steps backwards, bowed and turned to go…before promptly whirling round to send a furious, flaming wall of _ki_ energy at the charging demons.

-----o-----

[1] Kaiganjin means Broken-Eye God. You probably know the guy by a simpler version of the name…;) The last few paragraphs included one villain from a previous fanfic and a few from canon Saiyuki. Have fun finding them.

[2] _Gojyo-san ja nai desu ka_ – Are you not Gojyo-_san_?

[3] You'll know which priest I'm making an allusion to if you've read 'Komoriuta' (Lullaby). Shameless plug for a fluffy ficlet. 

And to my ever dear reviewers...

**Ashura ** -- I am updating to relieve stress. XD Actually, my mom had a book once that explained all about the levels of Chinese hell, but I couldn't seem to find it so I got the info off the 'Net. There IS a short version of Chinese hell somewhere in the original version, though. Thanks for your kind words.

**Kurtain** -- Thanks.

**SeaGull** -- An excellent point to raise! *gives cookie* Are they dead? Perhaps. *secretive giggle* That would be telling.

**P. One **-- Dougan is down there for the sake of a story. No, SERIOUSLY, he was found guilty of spreading disharmony among practitioners (read: tried to kill Sanzo and thereby unwittingly let the resurrection of Gyuumaou go on). Refer to the previous chapter's review thanks to see why I'm not putting Kanan in down here.


	6. Chapt 5

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. Watch out for still more flying youkai bits. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

Have uploaded 2 chapters first, as I am having exams soon and am ditching the Internet for my textbooks. Have fun reading, and oh yes -- HAPPY 46TH INDEPENDENCE DAY, MALAYSIA!!! *does little dance*

**CHAPTER 5: ASSIMILATE, AWAKEN**

Dougan saw the blaze of blue fire issue from Houran's hands with his own eyes, felt the heat of its backwash upon his own skin, heard the screams of his soldiers dying with his own ears, and _still_ couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Houran, WHAT IN BLUE HELL WAS THAT?!" he screamed, his voice rising in pitch and volume by the second.

"A piece of proof," came the reply from the maid, thrown back herself by the force of her ki blast, "that I refuse to have died in vain. You controlled my body with the charm you stabbed into my heart, but you couldn't take hold of my mind. Even if you cast me into the darkness of Avici, even if I lose myself in it, I don't care if I can just prevent someone from going my way."

"You mean all this time, you…!" spluttered Goku.

Houran smiled weakly and gave him a small bow. "I acted well, didn't I, Goku-_san_? Now go. Don't waste the advantage!" She unsheathed her _kyoujin_ and prepared to fight alongside them, but Gojyo stopped her.

"_Yametoke [1]_. You've done enough for us as it is, and I couldn't be more thankful. I will not let you sacrifice yourself again for our sake—it was too painful the first time round."

"Gojyo-_san_…" Houran began, awed. The fellow half-demon turned, fixing her with a not unkind gaze, then solemnly winked. Houran felt something being pressed into her hand.

"Besides, you might want to rub this onto that _kyoujin_ before you do anything, or it'll be as much use as a butter knife," he continued, indicating the gourd of elixir.

"ATTACK!!!" shrieked a certain red-haired demon, and the demented souls surged forth with a cacophony of bloodthirsty shrieks.

"Less talk, more fight!" yelled Goku, leaping forward eagerly to engage their opponents. There were pained screams of horror as the merciless Nyoibou tore through their ranks. "Come on, _erogappa_, don't get left behind!" the heretic child grinned hugely.

"No such intention!" Gojyo barked and summoned his faithful _shakujou_. He threw himself into the fray, fighting with the ease and grace of one who has done it all before and was willing to do it all over again before breakfast. The blade of his shakujou weaved and whirled through the air, cutting through the ranks of the spirit foes. "Houran! Ya with us, or not?" he called over his shoulder with a rakish grin as he engaged another snarling beast.

"With you!" Houran called back. "So please, Gojyo-_san…_DUCK!" She sent a furious hail of _ki_-blades, sharp as the real thing, at the demons behind Sha Gojyo. They screamed and fell beneath the onslaught, running in all directions. The others found it very easy to pick them off after that.

"A simple matter of illusion," Houran later said blushingly in response to a piece of praise from Gojyo, "but it IS effective."

"Cho Gonou! You will die, and you will die NOW!"

A braver man would have turned white as a sheet at the sight before him—Hakkai settled for ivory. It was hard to blame him, considering the souls around him were some of the stronger demons he had fought while trying to save his Kanan from the Hyakugan Maou—the Hundred-Eyed Demon, the perverted creature who had captured and deflowered his lover. The man's grip around his sword tightened as the old anger rose afresh, and he leapt towards them with feline grace and almost lupine ferocity.

"You must have the wrong person," he sighed gently as he obliterated a demon soul with one quick slash, and fell upon another, plunging the blade into its festering ribcage. "My name, sir, is Hakkai, not Gonou...and I have no intention of seeing Avici's tortures before I have to."

As Hakkai hacked through another wave of demons like they were so many blades of grass, Sanzo had plenty of problems of his own. Even as he fired relentlessly into the ranks before him, occasionally just landing hard, compact punches on those demons who stepped too near to him, those sharp eyes of gentian were looking around and taking in the situation. At last, somewhere above them, looking down on the fray, he spotted a flash of red hair that _wasn't_ wielding a _shakujou_. A smile flashed across his lips for the briefest instant. "Hakkai! Gojyo! Goku! Try and hold them back while I take down that _hentai yarou_!" [2]

"Don't play hero, _bouzu_!"

"Who's playing hero, eh?" spat Sanzo, reloading on the run and taking out another group of small fry with a fusillade of bullets. Despite his long, flowing robes, he managed to move with surprising agility, and leaping up over the head of a snarling, snapping Silver Horn, he landed squarely on the beast's back and took off up into the air from there. Clasping his hands together in the appropriate _mudra_ [3], he recited the chant that would invoke the sutra he wore about his shoulders and…

"_MAKAI TENJOU_!!!" [4]

...With a whoosh and a flutter, strips of Evil Sutra swirled away from Sanzo's body, wrapping tight around the offending demons like ropes many times stronger. He drew his gun as he landed, and had fired off several shots before he even touched the ground. As the last of the dying screams faded, he recalled the sutras with a single Sanskrit command and charged. Dougan raised his axe and swung it at Sanzo, but the monk dodged and slammed the butt of his gun into the demon's face. There was a satisfying crack as blood spurted from the wound.

"Oh Sanzo-_sama,_ I'm so upset_,_" Dougan mock-whimpered, clutching his bloodied nose. "What have I ever done to you?"

"You've been an even bigger pain in the ass than the _saru_," Sanzo said flatly, but his thoughts were of a more frantic nature.

_Shit! Does he feel no pain?! _

"No, Sanzo-_sama_, I passed that stage a long time ago." Sanzo stiffened and involuntarily flinched at this sudden intrusion into the workings of his mind. "I am no longer a burden to anyone. I have grown stronger, stronger than you could ever imagine. Under the earth you walk on, here in the dark of Avici, I have cultivated myself for the past years. No longer am I inhibited by a mortal shell like the other three still are. I am glad you came, in any case, Sanzo-sama. There's so much I still have to show you." Dougan purred, "Houran's insubordination notwithstanding, my plan is almost complete. Come, allow me to explain further." He snapped his fingers and pointed over Sanzo's shoulder. Despite himself, the blonde monk glanced in the direction of Dougan's outstretched finger as his eyes widened in shock. So did the eyes of the others, transfixed by what they saw.

The darkness parted to reveal that the men, women and children that Dougan's scouts had kidnapped and taken to Avici were all bound in the middle of a strange construction of curved pillars. Many of them had heads shaved clean, signs they were devout practitioners of the faith. At the very top of the hub of pillars was a strangely constructed charm of some sort.

"Recognise that component right at the top, Sanzo-_sama_?" Dougan grinned. "It will fly in a sky no longer blue from now on." Sanzo nearly choked. It was a small paper plane, its bright orange colour visible even from his distant vantage point.

"Those idiots won't survive...!" Sanzo spat, realising immediately what Dougan was about to do. "You have too morbid an interest in those freaking pieces of folded paper."

"Perhaps. But still, you know as well as I do that there isn't much time left for these poor souls. When the sun reaches its nadir at sunset, the charm will be activated. These people, or rather, their souls, those ever-so-strong-and-faithful souls will give Avici the power it needs to break its bounds. And then I'm sure you know what'll happen, don't you? The darkness will run wild. Tougenkyou, the land that scorned the likes of me, will be no more but a part of my territory. I will rule the land as its only ruler, and what a pity…you can't stop me." Dougan smiled irritatingly and burst out into raucous cackles. These were quickly answered by Sanzo's firing several bullets point-blank into his face. Luckily for Dougan, he raised one hand and closed his hand on the bullets, effectively stopping them.

"Ooh, Sanzo-_sama_…that's kind of dangerous. Why don't I show you how we do things in Avici? To me, men! The time has come to put a stop to this game!" He dropped the still-smoking bullets as he issued his command.

The inhabitants of Avici that had been until now fighting the other three members of the _ikkou_ turned from their targets, immediately making a beeline for their cackling commander. Too late did the four realise what Dougan was about to attempt. The souls swirled around the demon in a roiling mass, clutching at him desperately as if to tear the very flesh from his bones. Dougan's laughter was soon drowned in the crowd.

The dark mass began to take a definite form and shape. Powerful arms appeared, and hard, curved claws like the talons of some feral beast forced their way out of the fingers. Equally powerful legs, too, made their appearance, rippling with knotted muscle. The beast gave a spine-tingling wail like a banshee as fangs like machetes erupted from its jaws. Its eyes flew open, glowing a murderous blood red, and fixed immediately upon the ikkou. It stood upright, a black and well-muscled behemoth towering well over them much like Gyuumaou had at one time not too long before. A low growl rumbled from its throat, sounding like distant thunder.

"He managed to assimilate all those souls into his system?" Hakkai gasped, slightly disconcerted.

"He looks pretty strong, guys," Goku muttered grudgingly. It took a lot for him to get that out.

"Still getting others to do the true dirty work for him," Sanzo replied.

"Silence! Now, Sanzo-_ikkou_," Dougan screamed in a voice distorted almost beyond recognition, "you will all DIE!!!"

"Not without a pretty lady, we don't!" Gojyo countered.

"Not without good food, we don't!" Goku added his two _zeni_.

"Not until we return the others to the world of the living!" Hakkai shouted up at the behemoth.

"Not until we can defeat you!" yelled Houran at the top of her lungs.

"And definitely not before I kick that @$$ of yours in eight different directions!" Sanzo spat.

Raising their weapons, the Sanzo-_ikkou_ raised their weapons and charged. Houran sprinted alongside them, eyes burning with a fury very much familiar to Gojyo, as the same spark burned in his own.

_I don't want to let them down this time._

The powered-up Go Dougan was decidedly not impressed. He snarled and slammed a mighty fist into the ground. The impact literally shattered the floor beneath the ikkou, and before they could react they were sent flying. Dougan reached out instantly, raking his talon across Goku's chest. The youth screamed with undiluted agony as he landed with an unholy crash on the far end of Avici.

"Goku…Urkk!!!"

Dougan seized Hakkai in his mighty paws and began to squeeze him into a pulp. Hakkai fought bravely, but there was soon the cracking of breaking bones—six ribs, a radius and a humerus, to be exact. He was flung right into a nearby wall and left a large crater where he made impact with the cold stone.

THWACKKKK

Another well placed swipe, and Sanzo had been dealt a blow upside the jaw. The monk had a vague sensation of tasting blood before Dougan's foot made contact with his skull and he slammed into Gojyo. The two men, one unconscious and bleeding, the other just the former, rolled over and over across the stones before coming to a stop somewhere in the middle of the floor.

Gojyo tried to get Sanzo off him and up onto his own feet when he felt a force like a Scottish caber go thudding into his midriff. What passed for breakfast laced with quite an amount of blood flew up his gullet and out his mouth as he was flung aside like a rag doll. Dougan smirked, and seemed to shrink upon himself. He returned, momentarily, to his old and more human form.

"I think, Sha Gojyo, that I shall start with you," he smirked, and raised his heavy axe to cleave Gojyo into two.

"_NO!!!_" Houran cried out desperately.

There was the swish of an axe blade falling, and a wet thud as it embedded itself in living flesh. The hoarse cry of a man echoed through the emptiness.

-----o-----

[1] Yametoke = corruption of yamete oke (leave it be)

[2] Hentai yarou = perverted bastard

[3] Mudra = gesture

[4] Makai Tenjou = Heavenly Purification of Evil 

**Kurtain & Ashura A. **-- Don't worry, you'll get what you're hoping for ;) And by the way..._what makes you think the Kougaiji-ikkou is dead_? Do you want to see them in a subsequent chapter? 


	7. Chapt 6

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. Don't step in the puddles of bishoujo blood. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

**CHAPTER 6: DESTRUCTION, CREATION**

-----o-----

Drip.

One incarnadine droplet hit the floor, the sound in the silent darkness like the crash of a sudden wave.

Drip.

The flow began to increase. Tiny rivulets of liquid ran down Houran's fingers, staining her clothing as she sought to hold back the axe.

Drip.

The blade dislodged itself, causing a spurt of blood to issue from Houran's wounded chest. She blinked just once, and crumpled gracefully onto the ground.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"HOURAN!!!"

Gojyo didn't even realise that had been his voice, only that his throat was raw and his gorge was up and his eyes were stinging and his hands were running with warm red blood. He pressed his fingers upon the wound, trying to stem the flow, but she insisted on pushing him away.

"_Dame_…don't," she murmured weakly. "It hurts more when you try and do that."

"But…Houran, what in…WHY TH'ELL DID YOU TAKE THAT BLOW?!"

"I did…not…want him to kill you. You still have a job to do, Gojyo-_san_. Seal him in Avici…that he may not harm others again."

"Houran…you're an idiot. The damnedest kind, but the bravest, most bloody amazing idiot I've ever seen." The smile upon his face was feeling kind of wobbly, almost like it would just fall off any minute.

_I don't believe this. This has t'be a dream, a really disturbing dream that's a little worse than the ones before. _

_ Houran, speak to me and tell me I'm dreaming? _

It took a while for Houran to be able to speak, but she smiled up bravely at the half-demon as she continued. "Gojyo-_san_, I beg that you don't think too badly of me. A _shikigami_ and a man can never be together, no matter how much the heart asks for this love. There is so much I wanted to say to you, but…"

"You can tell me all this later, babe, when we're out of here," muttered Gojyo softly, and in one swift movement, he embraced her close and caught her lips in a long, hard kiss.

All at once everything melted into nothingness. There was no pain and no blood, only the warmth of the man's embrace, skin upon skin throbbing with the warm pulse of affection. Even as her heart slowed and her mind became numb, she was dimly aware of his breath and heartbeat and a tongue probing through the depths of her mouth to touch upon hers. Her body responded on its own, pressing ardently closer to his and drinking deep of every moment, if only to glean the warmth that could sustain her in the final moments.

In the depths of such a warm and silent embrace, even the pain that surged through her died quickly.

Quickly and cleanly, Gojyo touched his fingers to the wound, took a firm hold and pulled the orange paper plane away from Houran's dying heart, crushing it quickly into a crumpled ball of orange and red. She shuddered and coughed, and the taste of blood in his mouth made him pull away. Her eyes brightened momentarily as the charm's effects fled her, but the flame soon died down again.

"Thank you, Gojyo-_san, _for everything," she whispered softly as she looked deep into the garnet eyes above her. She felt suddenly cold, like ice had taken blood's place in her veins, and she was sleepy, so incredibly sleepy. She closed her eyes at last and exhaled softly before she fell limp against him. Gojyo felt a sudden tightening of his throat that told him tears were on their way, and he quickly bowed his head, jaw clenched tight.

"_Bakamono ga_…"

Fact of nature: Demon pupils tend to constrict when they're under more severe stress. Apparently this proved true for half-breeds too, for the crimson in the eyes that bored deep into Dougan's cold gaze overwhelmed the black slit of pupil within it.

"Wow, isn't this just a kick in the head, Sha Gojyo? She sacrificed her life to save you." Dougan heaved a most stageworthy sigh. "Pity. This is the second time she's failed me. I ask her to kill you once, and she gets herself killed this time round…oh dear."

Filled with unspeakable anger, Gojyo's only response was to place Houran's inert body upon the ground and slowly stand, the crimson of his irises resembling blood more and more by the minute.

-----o-----

Goku was the first to stir, his legs still feeling like minced hamburger. Sanzo and Hakkai rejoined the world of the conscious soon after. What the three saw was their fourth member standing tall and strong over the bloodied body of a _shikigami_, eyes smouldering and shakujou being summoned to hand.

"Methinks you need a lesson on how to treat women properly, brother," he growled in surprisingly mellifluous tones, and with one effortless leap, he had socked Dougan the greatest sock he'd ever been socked. The demon was caught by surprise and tried to pull back, but Gojyo gave his weapon a neat little flick, sending a ripple of movement up the chain that translated into the blade attached to it looping loosely around Dougan's wrist. With a mighty pull, Gojyo pulled the demon off his feet and to the floor before recalling the crescent-shaped piece of metal and charging, soundless and deadly. Dougan recovered quickly and lunged, claws aimed for Gojyo's throat, but the half-breed twisted out of the way and lashed out once more, giving Dougan quite a whack with the body of the _shakujou_. Dougan ducked, and turned, growling fiercely, but was met with another fist in the face from a furious opponent. When all was said and done, Dougan was strong but Gojyo was equally powerful and the punch had been thrown with the force of a battering ram. [1] The demon went a-spinning through the air and crashing into the same wall Hakkai had met with just minutes earlier.

"Gojyo!!!" Goku shouted, staggering to his feet and seizing his Nyoibou.

As if Goku had never called out to him, Gojyo swung the heavy metal staff at Dougan's head. Dougan hadn't run out of tricks yet, though—he ducked, and resumed his attack on Gojyo with a sudden volley of punches. Gojyo did well defending himself at first, but the two punches broke through with sudden ferocity. Blood tinged his vision and flavoured his spit. Smiling evilly, Dougan flung himself at Gojyo once more, simultaneously transforming and re-summoning the power that belonged to the souls he had assimilated.

Metal grated furiously against stone as Gojyo used his _shakujou_ to keep himself from getting crushed by Dougan's now-massive foot. Unable to change position, he had to rely on the strength of his arms alone to hold the demon back until he could find a way to escape. Curses in various demonic dialects were running through his brain frantically the shakujou began to bend at the middle.

"You're still no match for me, half-breed!" Dougan grunted, forcing his foot down imperceptibly closer and closer to Gojyo's chest. The half-demon fought back with all the might in his body, but his arms were aching with wounds and the strain of holding Dougan off.

_Looks like I'm going to get that bloody death wish!_ he thought, the shakujou bending dangerously in his white-knuckled hands. _Can't die…have…to get…them out…get her out too… _

_ Can't let a babe die in vain down in this filthy dump… _

"WAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!" came a wild scream, part agony and part anger. Gojyo looked up quickly, seeing a dim blur of red and gold and brown flinging its tiny self at Dougan's head. The blur yelled out a string of foul curses (Gojyo's teachings, no doubt) and swung the most almighty crack it could muster at Dougan's head. It actually had some effect, as the demon growled and shifted his attention from Gojyo for just a second. Quick as a wink, Gojyo seized his chance and thrust the shakujou up with all his might. The straight blade sank deep into the sole of Dougan's foot, dark blood gushing out, and the behemoth let out a frightful shriek. The half-demon scrambled as quick as his feet allowed him, as another green blur dashed sylph-like past him and slashed at Dougan's midriff with no mercy whatsoever.

"Nice one, Goku, Hakkai!" Gojyo called out, spitting a wad of viscous blood and saliva from his mouth.

"_Sankyuu_!" the youngest Sanzo-ikkou member grinned hugely. "We couldn't let YOU have all the fun!"

"And besides…you have an amazing tendency to attract trouble, Gojyo," Hakkai said with a half-smile. Although blood slicked the right side of his fringe down over his eye, the one remaining visible glittered in a very feline manner as he lifted up his sword again. "Well, here we go!" With those words, he raised his sword, shook the blood from its blade and broke into a run. Gojyo was soon matching his pace, shoulder to shoulder. Dougan roared furiously as Goku did a neat little dance upon his shoulders, swinging the Nyoibou left and right across his face, and failed to see the two men leaping up at him. With two fluid movements, the blades of a shakujou and longsword had cut deep furrows across Dougan's eyes. Black blood sprinkled the two as they landed with cat-like balance and turned. Goku added one more crack across the jaw for good measure before dodging the semi-blinded Dougan's arm and jumping for the walls, where he bounded closer to the ceiling. "Sanzo, hurry!" he yelled over one shoulder. "Go do what you said you would!"

"SHUT UP AND DIE, SARU!!!" Goku's guardian tenderly replied. Sanzo needed no further invitation to get going. He knew he, and only he had the resources to stop that machine from activating and giving Avici the final power surge it needed to break its bounds. His ankle throbbed painfully within the confines of his left sock, but he broke into a desperate gallop towards the construction of curved pillars.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, SANZO-_SAMA_!" a dreadful bellow rang out through the air. There was an explosion just behind the monk as Dougan spat a torrent of glowing white energy at him. Luckily, he missed, but the shockwave was enough to send Sanzo tumbling to his feet. More pain, more blood. The monk spat out the tainted fluid (and what he felt was a chip from a back tooth), cursed and struggled to his feet. If he didn't finish this off, he'd see no more daylight. He'd never feel the wind on his cheek again, either. He'd break his vow to his late master to become strong, something that still needed perfecting…and the _saru_ and _kappa_ would never give him any peace under here.

Dougan let fly with the beam again. Another explosion. Sanzo rolled away to avoid it, getting his elaborate robes in a mess, but that was beside the point. As he struggled to his feet, a sharp pain radiated up his ankle and he fell again to one knee. Damn Dougan! Bite back the pain, you idiot, and stand up, screamed his brain furiously. He noticed with growing trepidation that the power that he had been feeling radiating from the structure was definitely growing stronger—his finely tuned senses were sure of it. There was no more time to waste. He would have to use broader-range tactics.

"You will NOT ruin these plans when I have come so far!" Dougan roared, and charged, his massive feet shaking the ground with every step and his bloodthirsty claws raised to strike and crush.

"Sanzo, look out!" Goku shouted as the monster drew closer and closer. He closed his eyes, unable to watch.

"No, no, _saru_, don't do that, look!" spat Gojyo.

The monk was unhearing, unseeing, unheeding. The only sign that he was alive was that he was up on his feet, chest rising and falling and the lips moving in quick, silent chanting.

_An sai ken soku hi shin dou shou …ran metsu ki shou nou gyaku shin shou…shin zen mu shin zen kuu zan sei kai ten kaku shin ON! [2] _

Dougan had failed to notice the extra sutra Sanzo had criss-crossing his chest, which was now glowing with a bright bluish light. Upon the utterance of 'ON!' strips of sutra burst upwards like live things

"What the—" spluttered the demon, shying back.

"Perhaps you forget, Dougan," Hakkai interrupted pleasantly. "We didn't just defeat Gyuumaou in Tenjiku…"

"…Sanzo got his _sensei_'s stuff back!" Goku grinned, realisation dawning.

The monk opened his eyes, his whole body now glowing with a blue aura not of this Earth. Slowly and deliberately, still chanting, he pointed two fingers forward at Dougan, closed his fist and then spread it wide open, a gesture imitating a burst of light, light that would flow forth into darkness and destroy it forever.

"_On ma ni hatsu mei UN…_" [3]

From his mouth flew the stern command to the sutras—to be precise, that which he had reclaimed as his inheritance from his master Koumyou Sanzo. _Seiten Kyoumon, _the Holy Sutra.

"_TENKAI KAIZA—N_!" [4]

-----o-----

[1] 750 Newtons, as a matter of fact. I tried to calculate pressure, impact and impulse, but failed miserably—sorry, folks. Dougan may be strong and powerful and all that manure, but he's still a ghost with a CREATED physical body. Gojyo, however, has the original product, and knows how to pack the maximum punch with it. So, not being 'inhibited by a mortal shell' does have some disadvantage…particularly when an angry erogappa is out for your blood.

[2]'See dark disaster, and swiftly move the secret heart to erase it; erase the spirit of wild destruction and erase the wild reversed trust; Truth is nothing, truth is emptiness, bring forth life, open heaven and awaken the gods, om'…or at least, its equivalent. Pinched straight from the Windows XP Japanese character map.

[3] Om mane padme hum.

[4] Summon Heaven (Heaven-Forbidden Open-Arrive) 


	8. Chapt 7

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, and slight PWPness. GREAT liberties taken with portrayal of Chinese/Tougenkyou hell.

**CHAPTER 7: TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM**

-----o-----

_…To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub:  
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,  
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil…_

_(Hamlet, W. Shakespeare) _

"_TENKAI KAIZAN!!!_"

Strips of the Holy Sutra billowed forth, glowing blue and burning everything they touched to pure white ash—pillars, stones, circuits and paper plane alike. Eyewitnesses later claimed a huge light burst from the ground, sending a scorched paper plane sky-high. As pieces of debris began to fall from the ceiling, Hakkai leapt into action. He managed to set up a defensive _ki_ barrier just in time before the more dangerous pieces began to fall upon the hostages. Goku was instantly at his brother-figure's side, snapping the ropes that held them captive with relative ease. Things got a little easier when Hakkai tossed him his own _kyoujin_, old and worn and sweat-smoothed, to do the job.

Still more flying sutra shot towards Dougan, binding him within holy tantras. The paper burned his skin like blazing brands, sending him to his knees howling in pain. More of the strips closed around him, immobilising him in folds of white and green.

"LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" "SANZO-SAMA, LET ME GO! NO! I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU…Sanzoooooo," wailed Dougan around a mouthful of sutra.

"I have no interest in your show-and-tell game," Genjyo Sanzo cut him off, and raised his Smith and Wesson _shoureijuu_. The Seiten could not kill—neither could the Maten—but this little thing could, quickly, silently and painlessly. He fired. The bullet cut a clean path through the darkness and punched a hole straight through Dougan's forehead. The screams ceased abruptly. The limbs fell limp. The eyes clouded over in death beyond all death, and the soul collapsed. Dougan's body began to crumble to a fine, dark grey dust like stone shavings, and the soul perished forever.

"Ah, the bigger they are, the harder they fall," mused Gojyo…but he wasn't quite looking at Dougan.

"_Urusai_," choked Sanzo from his undignified facedown position on the floor. His breath came in ragged gasps, and there was blood trickling down the corners of his mouth. Damn, the use of the Seiten had drained him of a lot more than he'd thought. Goku was at his side instantly.

"Sanzo, Sanzo, are you all right? Speak to me!" Goku cried out worriedly, shaking his shoulder. "You're not dying here, right? You're not going to leave us alone, are you? Ne? Ne? Ne? Sanzo?!"

A hard, compact, leather-clad fist made contact with Goku's midriff, and he staggered back.

"_Ita~i_! What did you go and do THAT for, Sanzo? My stomach's already aching from hunger!"

"I was aiming for your _mouth_, you noisy little monkey."

"Ah, you're all right, then!" Goku beamed. Sanzo muttered something under his breath as he picked himself up.

"That's our _ bouzu_…he only _looks_ and _acts_ all soft."

"_Want to go first, cockroach?_"

"Everyone all right?" asked Hakkai. "I will get the healing done once we are back above…oh. Houran! _Minna_, where's Houran?"

"…"

"Oi _kappa_, what're you mumbling about?"

"…dead…"

"WHAT?!" Even Sanzo looked shocked.

Gojyo's voice was artfully flat and emotionless. "When you guys were out cold, Dougan went for me. There wasn't any time to dodge his axe. He would've made me into a piece of sushi, if not for…" Gojyo's brow furrowed, and he looked away. "Silly girl. Why th'ell did she do such a thing?" he snorted.

"Maybe because she loved you, Gojyo."

Gojyo looked up at Hakkai, not a little taken aback.

"We do strange things to the beat of the drummer of our soul. I ought to know." Hakkai's smile was sympathetic as he rubbed his thumb along the bloodied edge of his sword.

"Hn." Gojyo made a small non-committal noise as he dematerialised his _shakujou_. _But you knew, didn't you, Houran? _he thought sadly, pityingly. _You knew that somehow this was going to happen in some way, that it would come down to Dougan and the rest of us, and you chose the rest of us. The world. The living, not the dead. Maybe you weren't as influenced by that bloody fool as much as I'd thought. I'm sorry. _

_ …And you still knew, didn't you, Houran? You knew what it was like, because your past and mine both sucked like anything. Maybe I could have made you forget. Maybe together, we could both forget and concentrate on other things. I guess…I guess that I will never know. _

_ Man and shikigami, taboo? As if I ever cared. I didn't think you would…I mean, I think I did feel something for you like you did for me. Maybe not love, both of us. Kinship, or perhaps it was something deeper. _

"Go…jyo…_san_…"

_ I hear you calling me. Goodbye, Houran. Find your rest. I won't forget you or your spirit. _

"Gojyo…"

_ I wanted to protect you. Is that love?_

"Oi, _Kappa…_"

_Ngh…if it is, then…I loved you with every half-breed particle in this body. I love you, Houran, as much as you felt for me. Don't leave like this… _

"HOI, GOJYO, WE'RE TALKING TO YOU!"

_Uh?!_

"_Bakagappa_," groused Goku.

"What?" Gojyo snapped tersely.

"She's breathing," Hakkai replied, picking her up. Dougan's former captives had gathered round, and Sanzo dropped the small glass ball that would bring about their return. Those words, and the sharp tinkle of glass, were the last things he remembered.

-----o-----

"How is the girl?"

"She lost quite a bit of blood before I managed to get to her, and the wound is deep. She's not in a very good condition."

"I can see that…I don't see what she saw in that fool cockroach."

"Perhaps the same things you saw in your surrogate father…Kouryuu."

"…Oi, Hakkai, your character just gets _better and better_."

"Forgive me my jokes…but please, if you're going to shoot me, put a silencer on your gun. You will wake Gojyo before he gets enough rest for my _ki_ to do maximum good."

"I think he'll be jealous when he wakes up."

"Why's that, Goku?"

"'Cos you got to see Houran naked, and he didn't."

"_To bandage her wounds! I have no interest in ogling!_"

"Think the _kappa_ will care?"

"Good point, _saru_."

"**I'm not a monkey, Sanzo!**"

"…Now, now, gentlemen. When is our audience with the _Sanbutsushin _again?"

"In a week. Think Gojyo will be awake by then?"

"Probably."

"Damn."

-----o-----

To explain the conversation further, one must digress to what happened just after Sanzo and the others returned to the living.

The 100 hostages had been rescued without any major casualties, and they all had a good memory wipe to make sure their experiences in Avici would not be remembered. It was better to experience its tortures only once in your life/death, and with good cause for it. Samadhi was very much surprised to see a young woman, covered in blood from head to toe and lying limp in his arms. He was cradling her with almost a kind of reverence.

"Explain this, Sa Gojou, Genjou Sanzou," Panna said coldly. "This woman is not one of the hundred souls abducted for Dougan's clandestine activities."

"Well, she followed me home," Gojyo muttered. "Can I keep her?"

Sanzo was about to say something to a rather insulting effect, but it was, surprisingly, Samadhi that butted in. "You found your final _en_, did you?" the Aspect chuckled gently.

"Say WHAT?" Goku sputtered.

"An _en_, Son Goku…a karmic bond that flows between two souls, binding them spiritually, if not emotionally and physically, for the span of their mortal…"

"I know all THAT," Goku interrupted impatiently, "but GOJYO has an _EN_?!"

"Suck it up, _saru_," Gojyo replied. He shifted his grip upon Houran's shoulders. While Hakkai had used part of his remaining _ki_ to close the wound, she was still pale and silent, as if already dead. Only by sticking his finger under her nose occasionally could Gojyo tell that her breathing had not stopped.

"If there is anything else that needs saying," Sanzo began, on one knee in typical pose of obeisance to the _Sanbutsushin_, "then let it be said. My companions—" he gestured towards the scruffy, bloodied and bruised trio, adding a silent '_and I_' to the statement— "need medical treatment."

"Then no more will be said, Genjyo Sanzo, at least not for a week. Report back to us after then." Panna still sounded righteously miffed. "Ask the temple monks to attend to you."

"I thank you."

Hakuryuu sputtered back home, where the poor dragonet finally gave up the ghost. Houran they gave shelter, Gojyo volunteering his bed for her. Hakkai managed to get down a glass of water and prepared to do something about Gojyo's wounds. The help was, however, weakly declined.

"Look, just get yourself patched up first," Gojyo slurred thickly. "And keep Houran alive, man. I do not want to see her dead, or you…Urghh. Ow."

Gojyo, dizzy with fatigue and loss of blood, tried to sit down on a chair, missed it by quite a few inches and lay out cold on the floor. Hakkai sighed, got his much chunkier companion undressed, dragged him to his own bed and set out some futons for his own use tonight. It was after he got some food into his system that he set to work.

On Houran, as Gojyo had requested.

_ …Keep Houran alive, man. I do not want to see her dead._

-----o-----

It was some three days before Gojyo awakened. Hakkai's healing had done a wonderful job—why, the blinding pain had faded to a dull, only slightly persistent full-body throbbing. Swearing lovingly at the state of affairs, he pulled himself up on heavily bandaged arms and scratched his forehead, feeling the rough scabs pitting them.

"Don't move too much. It'll reopen those wounds and I don't really feel like cleaning any more blood from the sheets."

"Hakkai?" His tongue felt detached from his body, and he mumbled something completely indecipherable after that.

"Good morning to you too. I brought you breakfast."

Gojyo accepted the warm porcelain bowl from Hakkai's hands. "Porridge?"

"Easy on your digestion. Eat up, you need your nourishment."

"Yes, mommy." A teasing grin accompanied the reply. He snorted with laughter, but it turned into a bad fit of coughing and it was a long time before he could calm himself. Picking up the spoon on the bedside table, he ate slowly. Hakkai provided second helpings, and it was only after the third bowl of strengthening ginseng congee that Gojyo put down his spoon.

"How is Houran?"

"Stable, thankfully." He gave his report in a professional, concise manner. "The wound was deep, and she's lost a lot of blood. She's been in a coma ever since we came back. I've been giving her small sips of liquid and helping to speed up the healing process with herbal tonics and _ki_, though, and I might be able to try some thin porridge today if her stomach can take it." He got up and prepared to go, but a certain tanned hand grasped his wrist in a request to stop.

"Let me do that. Your injuries probably aren't healed yet, either. You need to give yourself some downtime, 'Kai. Heaven knows you deserve it."

Hakkai had a thousand reasons to say no—his friend was still weak, he had just awakened, Houran wouldn't be waking up any time soon, she might choke and Gojyo wouldn't know what to do, there was just a dam of angst waiting to spring open—but he still said "Yes, all right. The porridge is being kept warm on the stove."

"Right, gotcha. Thanks. What do I do if she throws up?"

Ah. Clever Gojyo. You thought of that. "Turn her head to the side and make sure she doesn't inhale the vomit. Then tell me. I'll be getting some sleep in the living room, well-deserved as you put it." Hakkai gave his friend a friendly pat on the shoulder and slipped off to the living room to sprawl out on the couch. He'd finish reading his Wu Cheng En novel [1] and pretend to sleep—he wanted to see just how Gojyo would deal with things.

Call it scientific curiosity.

The half-demon slowly put his feet on the floor. They didn't give way under his weight, which was a good sign. Limping into the kitchen, he gave the warm pot's contents a stir, spooned out a bowl and took a seat next to his bed, currently occupied by Houran. He could not resist running his hands gently across her face, rubbing a thumb down a fragile cheekbone. She slept so peacefully—hard to believe just days ago they had been fighting together for their very existence.

"Well, let's see if you can take this in yet," he said aloud. "Rice porridge. I think Hakkai put some of those medicinal herbs he was talking about in it, and I tasted ginseng as well. It's not half bad, actually. Work with me here, kiddo. I'm a little rusty on this nursing business." He tilted her head back gently, opened her mouth and, bit by bit, fed the spoonful of watered-down rice porridge down her throat. Closing her mouth, he put the spoon aside and ran his fingers down her neck to stimulate the muscles. He was well rewarded for his efforts when Houran swallowed; it was more of a reflex action than anything, but still _something_.

"_Yosh'_, attagirl…"

Gojyo repeated the process until the whole bowl had been consumed in this manner. All the while, he talked aloud as if she was awake and could hear him. It wasn't really anything earth-shattering—just how nice the sun looked outside today, and what had happened and what he'd dreamt, and how cute she looked asleep. He thought maybe she could hear him on a different level.

"All right, I'm finished up here," he said with a yawn. "Sleep tight, love, I'll be back for dinner," the half-demon said to his guest, and placed upon her forehead a kiss far more innocent than the one they shared within Avici.

Of course, the truth was Gojyo never did go anywhere. Hakkai dozed off somewhere around the novel's 83rd chapter, and when he woke up, his first instinct was to check on his 'patients'. He found Houran sleeping peacefully, a bowl of porridge empty to the last grain, and Gojyo snoring slightly on the chair beside her.

"Aww…Hakuryuu, look…"

'Kyuu?'

"Sssh. Let's get the camera."

-----o-----

[1] Wu Cheng En wrote Xi You Ji…or Journey to the West.

This ends the battle arc of _Shinku no En_. The next few chapters will deal with a little more romance for our _erogappa_, so be prepared! ^_^ And to the reviewers...I MADE THE SUTRA CHANTING UP! *point point*

**ceres-17 **-- *new reviewer applause* ^_^ Yeah, Houran...Y'know, a.k.a Houlan/Penglan.

**Ashura A. **-- For the moment, the torture is over, and Gojyo WILL keep this promise. You'll find out how and why exactly when the story is done. Don't worry about the ending...it's better than A.T.F.U.'s, in any case.

**D. Chan** -- I'm deeply flattered one of the long-time writers here reviewed SNE and enjoyed reading it, and equally delighted to find a fellow GojyoxHouran supporter!  
**Dougan: **And ** I'm** glad you bestow upon me such praise...  
**M2000: **She didn't PRAISE you, she called you a MOLESTER! Now scram! I don't appreciate weirdos who dye their hair with blood, especially the blood of an innocent li'l _hanyou_! *reads sutras*  
**Dougan: **Aw crap, not AGAIN! *dies*


	9. Chapt 8

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style, slight PWPness…and a Gojyo acting OOC. Firn-chan = Firnheledien, god bless the rabid Sanzo fangirl. Possibly the longest chapter in the fiction.

*suddenly hits M2000--no one has mentioned Chapter 6's kiss scene* NUTS!

**CHAPTER 8: MAKE A DATE**

Houran regained consciousness a few days later. The first things that registered were the musky, faintly sweetish smell of the pillow that cushioned her head, the sensation of bandages wrapped tightly round her chest, and the man sitting in a chair next to her, a few bandages around his shirtless chest and his gaze fixed intently upon her. It goes without saying that Gojyo turned on the charm from square one.

"Welcome back to the living, milady," he greeted her with a squeeze of her hand. She blinked, swallowed slightly and looked around her. The chamber was not familiar—delft blue walls surrounding parquet flooring, a few dropped articles of clothing on the floor, posters of Asahi Beer girls [1] and Playboy 'bunnies' on the wall (oh heavens), and a slightly messy bedside table with newspapers and rolls of bandages strewn all over it.

"Gojyo-_san, _wh…where am I?" she asked. "And how long have I been here?"

"My humble abode…well, mine and Hakkai's, at any rate. It's been about two weeks or so since the rumble in Avici. I wouldn't recommend trying to get up yet—that slash probably hasn't healed fully."

"I think it's all right," she ventured, raising herself up on her arms. It felt a little better to be sitting upright again, although the effort made her feel just a touch dizzy.

"That's good to hear. You feel like somethin' to eat?"

"I _am_ a little hungry…" she said with a small smile.

"That's settled. I'll get you some of that medicinal porridge Hakkai whipped up. Works wonders, believe you me." Gojyo exited and returned with a bowl of porridge and Hakkai. The brunette gave the young lady a pleasant smile in greeting.

"It's good to see you've regained consciousness, Houran-_san_," Hakkai beamed. He checked her pulse and gave her a quick look over. "Well, you seem to have made a wonderful recovery. The important thing now is to get your strength back. I think the bandages can come off soon. If the wound itches, starts bleeding or pains you, let me know, all right?"

"I will. Thank you, Hakkai-_san_."

"Don't mention it," Hakkai beamed. "All right Gojyo, you take care of her for me while I prepare some more medicine, all right?"

"I…oi!" spluttered Gojyo as Hakkai walked off. Houran couldn't help but giggle, albeit quite shyly. Gojyo looked at her and sighed.

If she didn't know any better, Houran would think Gojyo was blushing.

"Come on, say 'ah'," he finally broke the silence, proffering a spoonful of the rice porridge to Houran. She complied, and took the bowl from him to finish the job herself. Gojyo watched her eat, and stared at his fingers for some time. She noticed.

"Gojyo-_san_ is anything the matter?"

"Ahr, nothing really important. Just get well soon."

"I'll try."

"Good. Because as soon as you're better, I'm going to ask you out on a date."

Houran finished her meal and looked thoughtful. "I'd like that," she replied softly

And so, Gojyo continued his nursemaid duty ("Hakkai, you can quit smiling like that already, you bloody freaky man."), and Houran grew strong once more and her wounds healed. The bandages came off about a week later, and Gojyo set about keeping his promise. He wanted to do things right this time round…

-----o-----

"Shit, shit, and shit squared," Gojyo growled, furiously jabbing at his handphone's keypad. "I didn't realise it would be this hard to make reservations in this place!" He flopped down on the couch and grumbled non-stop under his breath. He had given Houran his credit card and told her to go buy herself some decent clothes.

"Because you've never had reason to," Hakkai smiled. "Friday nights in Chouan are notoriously busy, Gojyo, you should know that. You should have tried reserving tables on Thursday, at least."

"They're booked straight through the damn weekend," grumbled Gojyo, "even Zizzlers [2] and Yamato. [3] Heck, even the chicken _onigiri_ joint [4] down at the corner has its tables reserved in advance! I'll have to postpone that date after all," he muttered, deflated.

_When I make a promise, I have every intention to keep it, especially if it's for a lady. I hate letting them down, it reminds me of a woman that I could never satisfy no matter what I tried. Her name was 'Mom'._

Hakkai exhaled, absently reaching up a hand to dissuade Hakuryuu from nibbling his ear. "Through the weekend? That only happens during festivals…festivals…wait a minute. Gojyo, what's the date?" Gojyo looked up, eyebrow quirked, and told him.

"That's the Gregorian calendar. What's the lunar date?"

"Seventh of the seventh moon."

"And what _is the seventh of the seventh month…?_"

"Aw, that's simple, Hakkai. Tonight's _Tanabata_, the Tougenkyou Valentine's. [5] I think there's some legend to do with it, something about two lovers in Tenkai who can only meet tonight, or some kinda crap like that. Great night for romance." It took some time for Gojyo to realise what he was talking about. "_Tanabata_! Holy…! I forgot about it completely! That explains the reservation problem, and Chouan holds an outdoor fair to celebrate it! It's….well, it's not romantic or anything, but it's a start. Thanks for the reminder, Hakkai."

"You're welcome. I guess you'll have to return that tuxedo you borrowed from Firnheledien-_san, ne_?"

"I suppose I should, before I forget about it completely." He got up and retrieved a box from his cupboard. "Y'know, I never even took a look at this get-up. I wonder where she got the tuxedo from," he wondered as he opened the lid to take a quick peek at it.

Silence.

"…A costume shop, by the looks of it."

"WHAT THE?! IT'S FOOGIN' ELECTRIC PINK!!!" howled Gojyo. "She said it was dark blue!"

"I suppose it was her idea of a joke. You know, I _told_ you not to call her Firn-_chan_, she doesn't like it…" Hakkai gingerly held the garment at arm's length, wincing at its dazzling cerise hues.

Gojyo muttered something to the effect of "A good thing I didn't make reservations" and stomped off to return the brightly coloured silk suit.

Houran returned about five minutes later, looking rather puzzled. Her shopping trip had proven quite fruitful, judging by the number of bags of shopping she had clutched in her arms. "Hakkai-_san_, I saw Gojyo-_san_ stomping off down the street to Firn-_san_'s art studio muttering something about clown-suits and payback. Is he quite all right? Perhaps tonight isn't a good night for him to go out…"

"No, no, no," Hakkai said quickly, hiding his grin behind the newspapers. "Gojyo is perfectly _in the pink_…well, he got pretty close, anyway."

Houran came to the eventual conclusion that Hakkai-_san_, although an accomplished healer, a powerful fighter and a good friend, could also be positively bizarre at times.

-----o-----

Houran looked positively enchanting. Gojyo had said so himself. He had seen her in Oriental clothing (WET Oriental clothing, too—but that's old news), and she had been going around in some of Gojyo's more normal clothes for the past week she had been able to get out of bed, but this…! She was wearing a stunning, glittery long-sleeved blouse with a sleeveless white top underneath it, and a slim-cut black skirt fell almost to her ankles. She had undone her usual bun, choosing instead to braid her hair in a shiny river of crimson that flowed down to her upper thigh. She had not shed her knitted hairband, though, or her old blue-green drop earrings.

Houran looked positively enchantED as well. Gojyo had blindfolded her with his old blue bandanna before they left the house, grinning like an ass, and had only consented to open the blindfold when they had arrived at the fair. The main streets of Chouan were crowded with little stalls selling everything you could possibly think off and promoting strange games and contests, and above them glowed beautiful lanterns, red and white and golden in various shapes. She turned to look at Gojyo, who was grinning modestly, a lit cigarette clamped between strong white teeth. His brown leather jacket [6] he had paired with a loose blue shirt and a pair of old jeans.

"I would'a taken you to one of those restaurants uptown…but I couldn't make any reservations. This'll have to do until then," he said apologetically. "Chouan has an annual fair for the mid-autumn festival, and this is it."

"It's _beautiful_," she breathed. "I never did get the chance to go to one of these things when I was a child." She took his hand, and he looked up. "Come on! Let's get right to it!"

Ah, the two did have fun running around the fair, soaking up the atmosphere, sampling all the food (including, amazingly, twelve different types of sweet dumplings) and trying their hand at the games. Gojyo proved to have quite an eye for darts as well as card games, and he scored six consecutive bull's-eyes at a stall promoting a game. He won his choice of soft toy, and Houran picked one out after much deliberation.

Now, if only she hadn't picked the Midou Kazuhiko Hotspring Kappa Donba plushie. [7] He was only slightly mollified when Houran told him she liked the way it smiled so happily. "She doesn't know my nickname, she doesn't know my nickname," he muttered over and over.

Well, things were going well for Gojyo—Houran seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, and he felt quite pleased to see her so. There was a sparkle, a gleam of life being lived in those beautiful ruby eyes, something he had not seen before their past weeks together. "Houran…" he began, determined to say what he had meant to all this time.

"Gojyo-_san_?" she looked up at him, feeling her heart skip a beat.

"Houran…I…"

"…want to eat some of that fried squid and shaved ice and _yakitori_ [8] and pork buns and mooncakes and…AH! _KONO EROGAPPA, _what are **_you_** doing here?"

If Gojyo had been any less a man, he might have screamed at the futility of it all. Instead, being a calm and mature individual, he screamed in _irritation_ instead.

"Definitely not stuffing my face silly, like SOME people I know!"

Goku swelled up like an indignant bullfrog. "Don't insult the value of food!" he snapped. "It's the best thing since sliced bread!"

"…That's truly not funny, coming from you. Nice jammies, though."

"IT'S A _YUKATA_ [9] AND SANZO BOUGHT IT FOR ME!" Goku flailed his arms as he gesticulated at his dark blue garment patterned with golden dragons and bamboo.

"…Because he wouldn't shut up about the silly thing."

"Greetings to you too, Sanzo. Nice get-up you got there." Gojyo tried to burn into his mind the image of Genjyo Sanzo, high monk, bad-tempered and droopy-eyed, in blue jeans and a long-sleeved, silvery-white tunic.

"Good evening, Sanzo-_sama_. It's been a while. Thank you for your past help," Houran greeted him with a bow. Sanzo gave a small, irritated shrug and reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

"Ne, Houran, let's go get something to eat!" Goku beamed, tugging on her sleeve. "I can make sure _erogappa_ here doesn't hit on you or anything!"

"Hey, look here…" Gojyo began, his cheeks tingeing a slight pink.

"It's all right, Goku, you needn't worry," Houran said with a laugh. "Gojyo-_san_ is a perfect gentleman around me." She couldn't quite understand why Goku burst into sudden laughter.

"…Let's just go get that shaved ice," Gojyo muttered in a subdued fashion. He quickly brushed some hair over his face to hide his reddening cheeks and walked off with Sanzo and Goku on one side and Houran on the other. He would've liked to hold her hand or put an arm round her shoulder, but Goku's presence didn't seem to encourage that.

_O dear gods, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO MY LOVE LIFE?!_ he mentally projected into Tenkai.

-----o-----

"Because, my dear Kenren Taisho, all's fair in love and war, not to mention entertainment," smiled a hermaphroditic deity of mercy, twirling a lotus bud between her fingers somewhere up in the clouds.

"Kanzeon Bosatsu-_sama_…what's that got to do with your placing Konzen Douji and Son Goku in that particular situation?"

"…You aren't denying me my only form of entertainment now, are you, Jiroushin?"

-----o-----

Several cones of shaved ice and multi-coloured syrup later, Sanzo finally managed to drag Goku away from the stall and point him in the general direction of Shayouden and bed. The monk's eyes were drooping more than was healthy, and Gojyo had been harisen-swatted for cracking that comment. But at last, the two were alone.

"You really like shaved ice, kiddo," Gojyo remarked, slurping up the remains of his last one.

"New experience," Houran explained. "It was very good."

"Well, since I think we've seen enough of the fair, how about we go somewhere else instead?"

"I wouldn't mind…but do you have a place in mind?"

Gojyo smiled mysteriously. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Gojyo took Houran's hand (score one for the kappa, she didn't object) and led her up the nearby hills. Once they reached the top, Gojyo bade her sit down on the soft, dry grass and look up. "Voila," he whispered.

It was a wonderfully clear night, and away from the bright lights and bustle of the fair only Nature held sway over them. Stars spangled the sky like countless rhinestones, gleaming in a vast range of colours, red and orange and golden-white. Above the two lovers, a half-moon hung low as if watching and anticipating Gojyo's next move.

Houran stared up into the night sky, amazed. She had never seen so many stars in one place. "_Kirei_…[10]" was all she could manage. (Score two for the kappa, she was impressed.)

Gojyo was quite the poet when it came to pick up lines. He could have said many things, like there was a star in the sky for every time he had wanted to say how much he loved her; that she was brighter to him than any star above; that the sight of the moon made his blood dance in his veins and other such sweet nothings like that, and he could have meant them all for once, but he completely lost his tongue and came up with something else instead.

"The stars are nice tonight, eh?" he remarked lamely. Houran nodded, and all of a sudden, she sat a little closer to him and put her head on his shoulder, pillowing her head on his jacket's collar.

"It really has been a wonderful night, Gojyo-_san_," she murmured smilingly. "Thank you. I really had fun."

"Ah? Ar…hmm. You're…you're welcome, I guess, Houran." He hesitated a bit, and then ran his fingers through her hair. It felt soft and smooth, like a sheet of living silk. "Houran…there's something I've been meaning to say. I…Houran…? Houran?!"

Houran had fallen asleep on Gojyo's shoulder, tired out but too happy to care. He sighed deeply—foiled again. Guess he should be getting home. Gently, without waking her, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up off the ground. "OK, Sleeping Beauty, back to the castle we go."

Gojyo took a back route home rather than risk Houran waking up (and his being seen by other female acquaintances), and arrived back at the apartment just as the clock struck half-past eleven. Hakkai opened the door to him, and looked quite surprised at the sight of Gojyo gazing tenderly down at Houran, sleeping peacefully.

"Nice _kappa_ plushie. Did something happen?" he asked concernedly.

"Something _would_ have happened if Goku hadn't interrupted. Nah, she's just asleep. Poor lass must be tired out. I'm going to hit the sack myself. Pleasant dreams, Hakkai."

"Good night, Gojyo. I'll lock up. You put Houran to bed."

Gojyo followed orders, laying the sleeping Houran upon his bed and pulled the covers up warmly around her. She stirred and murmured something in her sleep that completely shocked him.

"Gojyo-_san_…so warm…"

"Izzat so?" he whispered, lips cocked up in a half-smile. An idea struck him, and he decided to follow its instruction. He undressed for bed, then slipped into bed with Houran and held her close to him. He hoped she wouldn't be too surprised in the morning when she awoke.

He had yet to tell her of his true feelings, and it didn't look like he could do it any time soon. He wondered whether all his preparation had been worth it, whether he really should be here with her.

Then he remembered her smile, the happy gleam in her eyes, so alive and wonderful. No, it was worth it all right. Houran, too, was warm, after all, and Gojyo felt even warmer inside. Smiling, he closed his eyes and let dreams enfold him.

-----o-----

[1] I would have said Carlsberg or Guinness, but I know _erogappa_ doesn't drink those. Does Asahi Beer have chicks in their advertisements?

[2] Zizzler's is the name of a restaurant in Centrepoint that my family and I used to frequent. You order a main course and get unlimited soup, salad and ice cream. Sadly, it has long gone out of business due to reasons unclear to me.

[3] Name of the restaurant in Ep. 5 of the anime, 'Pure Assassin' (_Utsukushiki Ansatsusha_ – The Beautiful Assasin). The name was not mentioned in the manga arc 'Drug and booze'.

[4] Based on Malacca's famous Chicken Rice Ball restaurant – the name of which I do not recall and the wares of which I have yet to taste. It's apparently very, very famous and very, very good.

[5] Japanese/Chinese Valentine's, actually, but we'll leave it at that.

[6] The one in Saiyuki Reload.

[7] Hotspring Kappa Donba (_Onsengappa Donba_)is an actual manga by Midou Kazuhiko, who is also the artist of the many versions of Ultra Ninja Manual (_Urutora Ninpouchou_): Ninja Manual Hurricane (_UNPC Shippuu_), Ninja Manual Prosperity (_UNPC Kotobuki_), Ninja Manual Ultra and the currently running (?) Ninja Manual Flash.

[8] Yakitori – chunks of chicken roasted on bamboo skewers, served with a sweetish sauce called _tare_. I personally prefer _torikawa_ (grilled chicken skin – reminds me of suckling pig, actually *licks lips*) and grilled garlic, although THAT takes a bit of getting used to.

[9] Yukata – short summer-type kimono.

[10] Kirei – Pretty. 

-----o-----

And now, for the reviewers: 

**D-chan** -- 'Tis a pity the man didn't get much to do in here. I just love bouncing all the charas off each other like that, whether in jest or serious matters. How does Goku know? He just captured 'karmic bond' and that was enough for him. No trimmings nor trappings. ;) 

**Kurtain** -- I'm not surprised--counting myself I've only found two. ;) Houran's technically not dead, and I suggest you read it again when you're free. Happy travels! 

**konzen** -- Thanks! I do! 

**Ashura A. **-- For now, and hopefully forever! Yay for Hakkai, one of the few people who can handle a grumpy Sanzo. I'm glad you like the romance--the rest of the 13 chapters deal with it. I might do some more small date one-shots after I'm through with this. 

**Kairi-chan**_-- _Thanks! I update! 

**sasha noumi** -- I replied your review in an e-mail. I wish you luck in your search! (And if you find a VCD of Requiem--**VCD**!--let me know!_ Malaysia selamanya_! ^_^) 

Seeing that quite a few people are wondering about whatever's happened to the Kougaiji-_ikkou_, I'm considering inserting them in the last chapter. So, guys, whaddya think? You wanna see our quasi-evil demons again? Let me know through e-mail or review.


	10. Chapt 9

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style and slight PWPness. Hopeless angsting by Houran.

**CHAPTER 9: CUT TIE**

-----o-----

"Safira, did you hear?" her companion asked as she walked towards her and some other friends. She put her nail file down and shrugged.

"About Gojyo, you mean, Hisa? Who hasn't? He hasn't been to the bar for the last two months! He doesn't even come round this part of the town anymore!"

"He's changed, hasn't he?"

"Changed is hardly the word! Did you know, I hear…" Safira lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. Her other friends gathered round. "I hear that he's gone clean! I saw him at the Tanabata fair last month with another lady!"

"…Saffie, what's the big deal with that?"

"The lady lives in his apartment, with Hakkai-_san_. I've seen her with him on the town the past month." The girls erupted with cries of disbelief.

"Eeeeeeeeeehhhh?! No way!! Gojyo has a steady girlfriend?"

"_Gojyo_ has a steady girlfriend!"

"No shit, sister!"

"I'm serious. She's really pretty, too—a definite sweet young thing, about two or three years younger than Gojyo, and her hair's this really unusual colour. Like rose petals." The ladies began to chip in with information they had heard on the street and what they had seen for themselves.

"So are her eyes, I hear. Isn't it unusual that her eyes are such a beautiful wine-red like Gojyo's?"

"She must be really pretty if she could keep Gojyo away from us."

"She is. I've seen her doing shopping in the market, but I never connected her with him…!"

"Quite polite, too, isn't she?"

"Yeah. She's got an air of culture about her, that one."

Safira picked up her file and resumed her manicure. "Well, girls, it's official I suppose. There goes the neighbourhood."

-----o-----

It was early autumn now, and the air was brisk and the trees were just starting to shed their scarlet and gold foliage. New-fallen leaves crunched gently underneath two pairs of feet as Gojyo and Houran chatted as they strolled along, smiling and enjoying each other's company.

They would have continued doing so, had a voice not hailed Gojyo roughly from the nearby bar.

Gojyo turned, and saw a slightly drunken man stagger towards him, glaring at him with red-rimmed, watery grey eyes. His short, dirty-blonde hair was streaked liberally with white, and his paunch practically overflowed over his grey flannel trousers. Too much of the good life, it seemed.

"Hello Yaseki," drawled the half-demon, and not in a very friendly manner at that.

"Don't you 'hello Yaseki' me, you bastard. There's a debt you haven't paid me yet, and it's been outstanding for three bloody months! When am I getting back my seventy thousand yen, eh?" the drunkard cursed Gojyo. [1]

Gojyo's eyes narrowed very slightly, but Houran noticed it all right. "I paid it to you last week, buddy. Or were you so sloshed you don't remember where you put all that money? At least I happen to be smart enough not to drink myself under the table every night." The other gamblers who had gathered round to watch laughed themselves silly as Yaseki turned even redder in the face. Gojyo_ had_ paid the debt—they'd seen him do it—or at least, he had played a game with Yaseki that evened things out and made the bet null and void. Never let a gambler try and win back what he owes, especially when Gojyo's hands beckoned to Lady Luck with reckless abandon. They advised Yaseki to give it up and go back into the bar, have another drink. He'd probably spent Gojyo's money on that the same night.

The words rankled Yaseki badly, and as Gojyo bid his former mates farewell after introducing Houran to them ("Holy shit, Gojyo! You snared yourself a fair one!" "So that's why I don't see you at the bar!" "Settling down, are we? You'll stop smoking next!" "I already have, Tongpuu!"), he called out one last malicious remark.

"Yeah, and I suppose you never get drunk 'cause **_half-demons_ **can take it better than humans?"

It was safe to say the whole street went silent at that.

"What didja say?" Gojyo replied without turning his head, sounding very much like a slowly boiling Genjyo Sanzo.

"What? WHAT? You think I'm suh-too-pid or what? Too many of our women got knocked up by filthy demons during the past few years and I've seen what those bastard children look like, dying in the streets with flies covering their naked bodies. Hair like blood and big, staring eyes the exact same colour, all of them. Is that what happened to you, eh, half-demon? _Kinki no ko_? Got thrown out on the streets like the rest of them? Brought yourself up and scrounged around to survive, huh, Gojyo?"

Gojyo closed his eyes. For some reason, the two thin scars on his cheek were beginning to itch like mad. The voices he heard were but buzzing sounds, as if far away in the background.

"Oi, Yaseki, that's too much."

"Don't you be a-telling me what I should and shouldn't do! That half-breed cheats me outta my cash and then he insults me! He deserves what he gets!"

"Does it matter?"

"_Kinki no ko_? Gojyo is a half-demon?"

"Who'd a thunk it?"

"It all falls in place now…"

"…half-breed girlfriend, too. Keeping it in the family, are we?" Gojyo felt disgusted seeing that lecherous smile on Yaseki's face, and his fists clenched.

"Gojyo-_san_…leave it be…" he heard Houran murmur worriedly. In response, what did he do but release his grip on her hand, stride over to Yaseki and punch him right in the kisser. Observers that day swear there was a Doppler effect to Yaseki's surprised scream as he flew several feet backwards.

"You wanna keep putting that big stinky foot in your big stinky mouth, not my bloody problem," Gojyo growled. His fist was still as hard as it had ever been, Yaseki noted wryly. "But do it _out of my sight_. All of you." An old wound had reopened within him today, but one inflicted by no mortal creature.

The drunkard staggered to his feet, spitting out a bit of blood at Gojyo's foot, unrepentant and unwilling to give it up. "I have m'rights, don't I? I'll say what I want, and if you won't repay me my debt, I'll have to take somethin' of yours by **force**!" Out of his trousers he pulled a sharp, gleaming knife and charged.

Straight towards Houran.

Houran yelped in fright, and ducked. The knife passed with a whoosh over her head, but Yaseki poised to stab and brought the blade down upon her helpless back. Gojyo ran towards him, snarling under his breath, but knowing somewhere in the depths of his kappa brain he would never be able to stop the blow. Unless…Gojyo changed tack, barged in from the side and took the blow himself.

Which is exactly what he did.

The knife's edge sank an inch deep into Gojyo's right wrist before he managed to send another punch at Yaseki's jaw. With a wild cry, he then jerked his right arm up, sending the knife spinning through the air and sticking into the packed ground up to the hilt. One well-placed kick in the nuts and a punch to the solar plexus, and all of Yaseki's hot air was knocked out of him with a frightening whoosh. He slumped to the ground in a dead faint and Gojyo stood there, breathing hard, dusting himself off. It was then, when a smear of blood—a big one—appeared on his shirt that he turned his attention to his wounds.

"Oh no, Gojyo…your wrist!"

"It's…nothing," he lied, surprised at how bad the pain was becoming. He shook off the concerned hand on his arm and stood up. "Tongpuu, do us a favour and take Houran home."

"Uh, ok. Houran-_chan_…"

"But Gojyo...-_san_, where are you going?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to get something done about this wrist. I have other errands to run…and I think, for your safety, I'll do them alone." 

-----o-----

When Gojyo returned, Hakkai was sitting up drinking a cup of tea and reading through a thick paperback. He looked up when he heard the door open, and his eves flicked to Gojyo's wrist. It was bandaged quite a bit.

"How…"

"Seven stitches."

"Ah." Hakkai sat down again and motioned for Gojyo to do the same, pushing his mug of tea towards the half-demon. "I haven't been able to get anything out of Houran. What actually happened?"

"Yaseki tried to squeeze some more money outta me again. He apparently got smart on the deeper meaning of this—" he took a long gulp from the mug of green tea as he gave his hair a careless flick—"and tried to attack Houran to get me to cough up the cash. I got my wrist slashed in the process."

"You tried to protect her?"

"Obviously."

Hakkai smiled. "Very chivalrous of you, Gojyo."

A thin shrug accompanied his reply. "Chivalrous, nothing. He needed to be taught a lesson in how to treat ladies. Speaking of which, where's Houran?"

"Asleep, I should think. She went to bed a long time ago."

"But it's barely ten o'clock!"

"Well," Hakkai said delicately, arranging the tips of his fingers together, "she _said_ she wasn't feeling well…" He looked up at Gojyo, his eyes saying silently _Perhaps you should find out the true reason_.

Gojyo was a little smarter than he let on—not all of his power was concentrated in those pants. He took another gulp of tea, got up from the table and knocked on the door to Houran's…his room. Putting his ear to the door, he heard nothing but quiet, slightly fast breathing. "Houran? Babe? Y'awake in there?" Receiving no answer, he opened the door slowly.

Houran was awake, all right—she was sitting up in bed with the blankets in a heap below her feet, arms hugging her bent legs and her chin resting on her knees. Her hair was loose, flowing down her back and across the sheets like a roseate river.

Gojyo realised she looked hopelessly beautiful when she was sad.

"Houran? You didn't get hurt during that little skirmish, did you?"

"No, but you did," she said in a small, sad voice, "and that's enough for me. You should have just let things be."

"And let someone insult my pride? You don't know how I function, then. The wrist's fine. It was just a scratch," he lied. "Look, at least it matches the one on the left."[2] Houran didn't laugh at the lame joke.

"I'm sorry." She felt tears sting her eyes and turned away, suddenly feeling very small and silly. "I really am sorry…I didn't mean to get you hurt again," she choked out, suddenly embracing Gojyo tightly as she stifled a harsh sob. The man was rather taken aback, but wrapped his arms around her back and shook his head.

"What're you talking about?" Gojyo snorted, feeling a prickle of unpleasantness run through his veins. "I should'a seen that blow coming from a mile away. I almost got you hurt at the same time."

"Gojyo-_san_…"

"…drop the _san_. I've done nothing to deserve that sort of respect," he added quietly. He broke the embrace and cupping her chin in one of his hands, he raised her head to look at him. "Go to sleep, and quit thinkin' about all this nonsense. We can keep this for tomorrow morning," he said before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

The maid's heart sank like a stone, and she bit her lip. He had lied—Houran had seen how much the wound pained him, how gingerly he had moved the wrist. It sickened her that she could have been the cause of it, no matter what Gojyo might have said to her. He didn't seem to realise how much this meant to her, how much it troubled her.

But he did, really.

-----o-----

_…I didn't mean to get you hurt again… _

She had been crying. Damn the tears, and damn their cause.Gojyo turned over on his side for the 33rd time that night, and sighed deeply. _Look who's talking, Gojyo…leave it for tomorrow morning, my foot. _He looked up at the ceiling fan continuing its slow rotation over its head.

Truth be told, he was, in fact, quite shaken that Houran thought it her fault he got hurt. _It wasn't, honestly!_ he thought exasperatedly. It was a reflex action. Men are protectors. Women are the protected. It was probably the one childhood teaching that had remained uncorrupted in his mind. It felt strange, almost…new. No woman had ever cared in such a way before, as they always saw him as a garrulous gambler and suave lover.

What shook him more was that he now felt very much the same way. It was the first time _he_ had cared about a woman in such a way in more than fifteen years. This was the real thing, something definitely deeper. It was getting harder and harder to explain what it was like, being around someone who finally understands, but Gojyo didn't feel like looking for more explanations. He studied the nails on his left hand for a while. Perhaps Samadhi's warning back then hadn't just been mere crap. Perhaps _en_ truly existed. Could be they felt just like this, the sense of belonging and warmth and empathy and love…

Right, he really had to be coo-coo if he was seeing truth in the words of three Floating Heads ™. Still, something needed doing about it, because in the end when all was said and done, Gojyo didn't want to see Houran hurt on his account.

_Something must change_, he thought as he closed his eyes, _and preferably, fast_.

-----o-----

[1] Confirmed from the end of manga arc 'Charismatic' (Vol. 1, pg 129).

**Sila:** What's the meaning of this 860 **yen **overdraft?!

[2] Reference to Requiem when Houran was ordered to kill Gojyo. She only managed to wound his left wrist. 

**ceres17 **-- Do they have it in VCD form? I don't have a DVD player. And mushy is what I'm aiming for! ;)

**Firnheledien** -- Please do. ^o^ And as for Gojyo-_san_—hey, if he wasn't chaste, it wouldn't be very M2000-ish, would it?  
**Gojyo: **Firn-_cha_...-_san_, I'm surprised that you would ever doubt my integrity around a woman.**  
M2000: **Y'know, Goj, your track record with ladies isn't exactly squeaky clean, although your ethics are in the right place.  
**Gojyo: **...Exactly whose side are you on, M2000?!

**Ashura A. -- ** Hehe... I had to make the confession 'special', right? ;) Don't worry, Gojyo will get to speak his heart in future chapters. We're definitely talking about the Chinese Valentine's Day here. Not the Lantern Festival, cus that's 15th of the 8th month, or the Hungry Ghost Festival, 15th of the 7th month. Seeing how you all want to see Kou, I've altered the ending especially for you guys.


	11. Chap 10

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style and slight PWPness. More hopeless angsting by Houran. Crimson En is not meant to imitate Ah! My Goddess.

This chapter of S.N.E. is dedicated to the amazingly impatient Firnheledien, who wanted to have SOMEthing to read while online. *sigh*

**CHAPTER 10: _YUKI: _BITTER SNOW**

It did not take long for winter to set in, with its biting winds and bitter chills. The mighty rivers that watered Tougenkyou slowed and iced up, their rushing sounds silenced. The trees were mere black skeletons against the sky, frosted with snow. Chouan was soon blanketed in silent white.

Every day, the snow would fall gently; every day for the past three weeks a set of heavy boot-prints would have crushed its delicate ice crust before the sun could even rise, and every night the same boots would crunch through the snow that had lain still throughout the night, glittering in the faint and frosty starlight. Snow, the boot-wearer did not mind, because he had seen many winters like this one shower down the soft, white beauty, but when he saw the children engaging in snowball fights in the streets, it reminded him of times of old, in which every single child, rich or poor, boy or girl, banded together, cast aside their differences and had a rollicking good time together playing 'pelt-the-taboo-child'. The target? Why, none but himself. Snow stung. Snow hurt. Snow mixed with stones could draw blood. Stones by themselves did even better, he recalled.

Yes, winter was not exactly Gojyo's favourite season.

For the past few weeks, the half-demon had taken to keeping very much to himself. He left the apartment early and returned late, sometimes so covered in snow his eyelashes were encrusted with ice. He looked almost dead on his feet—bags forming under his eyes, cheeks hollowing—but he refused to tell anyone, not even Hakkai what he was doing. Quick calls by the latter to Sanzo and Goku revealed nothing, as the other two hadn't a clue about the _erogappa_'s doings.

Gojyo blew on his hands and shoved them into his jeans pockets as he trudged along. They stung mercilessly, but at least that was a sign the digits were still alive. It was cold, colder than usual, it seemed. He let his mind wander, and it immediately reminded him of some happenings he hadn't quite registered back at the apartment.

"Where are you going, Gojyo?" Hakkai had asked.

"Out," had been his short reply as he'd grabbed his bunch of keys. "Don't wait up, Hakkai." He had unlocked the door and pushed it open, wincing as a blast of cold air slapped at his face. 

"Can this not wait for better weather? You know it always storms like this during early winter," the green-eyed demon had pressed on.

"Nothin' doing," Gojyo had muttered gruffly. "I'll see you later."

Houran had appeared then, her hair loose down her back. "Are you really going out in such weather?" she had asked worriedly. Receiving a curt nod in reply, she then crossed her hands in front of her and bowed.

"Gojyo-_san, itterasshai_." [2]

"…"

With nary a wave or even an acknowledgement of the greeting, he had stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him with a firm click.

Gojyo tched, feeling rather irritated, and ran his fingers through his hair. _Damnit, you heartless old bastard_, he thought. _You could have at least returned the greeting. _Even so, deep in his heart he knew why he did not look back—the look in her eyes, that lost, confused look would be enough to kill him.

_ Oh, damn me to Avici…again_, he thought gravely. _I don't know what I'm doing or why, or even what I mean to achieve from it. The only thing clear to me now is how I really feel about her, and I have to do something about it._ _Houran, I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you worry, or hurt you more than needs be, but…stay with me just a little longer. I'll have an explanation for you soon enough. _

-----o-----

Houran stared out the window disconsolately. She liked the rain, and she liked the snow, but she didn't like the idea of getting stuck in the swirling, formless drifts of white outside. Where was Gojyo, and what was he doing in such weather?

"I think Gojyo should be all right," Hakkai replied her unspoken worries. Smiling kindly, he passed her a mug of hot chocolate. He didn't seem to mind the snow as much as the rain (At least snow fell quietly).

Houran accepted the mug silently, taking a few small sips before gazing through the frosted panes again. "Hakkai-_san_…does Gojyo always act like this in winter?"

"No, not that I've noticed in the time I've known him," Hakkai replied, hands curled around his own drink.

"Oh…" Houran suddenly seemed very interested in the melting mini-marshmallows bobbling up and down on the surface of the chocolate.

"On the other hand, Gojyo is that kind of person, so you shouldn't worry."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You must realise, Houran, that for almost all of his life, Gojyo's been a loner and he's not used to the idea of someone staying by him for a long period of time. It doesn't compute, you might say. He prefers very much to be alone, to do his own thing…"

Houran's expression was growing increasingly distressed, and Hakkai realised his accidental foray into the art of oral podiatry: opening your mouth, and jamming your foot right into it.

"Could I…am I trouble to Gojyo…?"

"No, no! That's not what I meant!" Hakkai laughed nervously and set his drink down on the window ledge, waving his hands frantically. "What I mean is that _because_ Gojyo is such a loner, he doesn't open up easily to people. It's hard for even myself to tell what's on his mind at times. I know he still cares deeply for you, though, Houran. Believe me. He will return home safely."

Houran tried to smile. If Hakkai's words were true (he hadn't lied to her yet), then perhaps her worries were unfounded. Silly girl, she was. "I hope you're right. It's snowing terribly out there."

"Oh, he'll be back…"

Words, however, are unfortunately fragile, and the trust inspired by them equally so. All it takes is one incident, the perceived closing of a once open door, to dash it all apart.

Dinner came and went, and still no sign of Gojyo.

-----o-----

Late night. Houran lay quietly curled up on the couch, the TV's faint murmurings lulling her into sleep. She rubbed her eyes and valiantly fought her weariness—she had promised herself she would wait up for Gojyo, when and if he was going to come home tonight. She looked at the big clock hanging on the wall. Five to two. Where was he?

There came the distinctive click, clatter and jingle of keys entering a lock. Houran got up and turned towards the door. She stifled a gasp when a most bedraggled figure dragged himself into the apartment, almost unable to stand on his own two feet.

"It's damn cold out there," Gojyo managed to squeeze through his chattering teeth. He was covered in a light powdering of new-fallen snow, his lips were a decidedly pale, bluish shade and ice even coated his brows and eyelashes.

"Gojyo! Are you all right?" She shut the door and grabbed on to his arm to support him. "You should change out of those clothes before you catch cold!" He shrugged her off, steadying himself on a nearby table and taking a few deep breaths.

"I'm fine," he muttered weakly, walking right past her and collapsing on the couch. "Just need to…get my breath back." He closed his eyes and moaned softly—whether from pain or relief, Houran wasn't able to ascertain. Still, first things first.

Gojyo soon felt the couch shift slightly with the weight of another person, and a warm hand nudging his shoulder. "_Anou[3]_…I made some coffee. At least drink that to warm you up." He reluctantly opened one eye, gazing wearily at Houran. She looked so innocent, so trusting…a spark of guilt flared quietly within Gojyo's breast. He really shouldn't be doing this. Without a word, he accepted the hot mug she was holding, but his icy hands were trembling too much to hold it properly. The coffee spilled over the rim, and slopped onto the floor, not to mention Gojyo's hands. Gojyo winced, swore and stood up abruptly.

"I'm sorry. Perhaps I should have made it a little cooler. I'll clean that up…" Houran began tentatively.

"Leave it be."

"But all I need is a rag…"

"**I said leave it be, Houran! **I'll do it myself!" He got up, entered the kitchen and wet a cloth, wrapping it first around his throbbing hand before reappearing and mopping up the spilled coffee himself with short, furious movements. When he got up to rinse the brown-stained towel in the sink, Houran followed.

"Gojyo-_san_…"

"Didn't I tell you to drop the -_san_?" Scrub, scrub.

"…Are you angry at me? What is going on?"

"What kind of talk is THAT? Nothing's the matter." Scrub, scrub. Must get the stains out. Stains bad.

"Then why the late nights? The secrecy, the silence? Gojyo, please, if there's anything I can do to help…"

"You can start," he began, dropping the wet cloth onto the drying board with a sloppy splat, "by cutting out all those questions, and quit worrying so much about me. It is driving me up the bloody wall. I don't need anybody's sympathy." His speech was clipped and tense, and he realised it. Gripping the edges of the sink, he sighed and passed a hand over his face. "Bloody hell. I'm sorry. I'm swearing like nobody's business at you and…It's just…look, what I'm doing, it's not the time for you or anyone else to know. Ask no questions and you'll receive no lies. Trust me, it's better I don't tell you yet."

"But Gojyo-_s_…" Houran opened and closed her mouth, but nothing further came out.

He heaved an exasperated sigh. "What?" Gojyo's alizarin gaze, dulled with fatigue, bored through her.

"N-nothing. Nothing, I suppose." She hung her head.

"Go to bed, Houran, I'll lock up," Gojyo muttered gruffly. "Pleasant dreams."

"All right. Sleep well." Houran turned her back on him and walked slowly towards the bedroom. She lay awake for a little while longer, feeling very uneasy. If only she could find out what was going on…

A high series of notes pierced the silence, notes which she recognised as Gojyo's handphone ringing. She listened carefully for a while, and heard quick footsteps coming into the living room. What she heard Gojyo say made her freeze completely, as if she'd been the one walking out in the snow and ice.

"Hello, Yin-_chan_," Gojyo's rough-around-the-edges voice greeted the caller pleasantly. "How are things? Yeah, she's asleep, she doesn't know about this conversation…"

Yin-_chan_, he'd said. A girl? Another woman?! Everything sort of dulled to a low hum after that, but she soon snapped back to her senses. She had to make sure, once and for all. This would, perhaps, at least tell her what he had been up to for the past few weeks.

"…It's all set. I have the money for both of us, and I swear things will begin happening any day now. Eh? Wossat? That is GREAT NEWS!" His voice had taken on an exuberant glee, a new energy. "When can I come over? Your place? Tomorrow? Hell, I'd go over there now! No, the snow is _not_ too heavy. It's never too heavy when I'm dealing with you, Yin-_chan_."

Houran stifled a whimper with her long sleeves.

"All right, all right, tomorrow. Can't wait. Thanks for everything. Yeah, you too. Goodnight."

Houran stood behind the half-open door for a while, trying to process what she had just heard. Gojyo was seeing another woman—he seemed quite close to her. The name sounded familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite place it. How could he? How could he do this? She had thought that she meant more to him than that…after all, he meant so much to her. So much…

A sharp pain in Houran's palm startled her into consciousness. Four small, oozing crescents of blood had been cut into her palm by her nails as she had clenched her fist tightly to stop from crying out. She stared at them for a long while, then her legs seemed to give way under her and she slumped down by the door, burying her face in her hands and crying softly. The winter winds masked her sobs easily.

-----o-----

Yin switched off her handphone once she was finished with the call.

"Come soon, Gojyo," she muttered smilingly. "I'll be waiting for you."

-----o-----

[1] Parody of the title of GS' 39thepisode, 'Misty Rain', or _Ame _(Rain). _Yuki_, if you haven't guessed, is Japanese for 'snow'.

[2] _Itterasshai_—polite, somewhat honorific form of 'Please go and come (back)'. Reply to the phrase _Ittekimasu_, meaning '(I) go and come (back).' The phrases are equivalents of 'I'm off!' and 'Come back soon!'.

[3] Anou = 'er…' 

**D-chan** -- Yay! I have found the person who does not get diabetes from my ficcies! ^_^ No, drunk guy was not in the manga.  
I _did_ think since Gojyo's in new territory, he might be a _teeny_ bit awkward. And you just saw why in the last chapter, methinks.  
**Gojyo: **In short, this little squirt is crimping my style.  
**UltraM2000: **This little squirt can inject some MORE ANGST into The Crimson En when she wants to.  
**Gojyo: **Help. Charat abuse.

**ceres17 **-- Excellente! Nah, me's not mad...Gojyo has to learn there are some women he CAN'T impress.  
**Firnheledien: **Such as myself. ;)

**Kairi-chan** -- Glad you liked it.

**Azzie@Az **-- I would be most honoured. ^_^


	12. Chap 11

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style and slight PWPness. Still more hopeless angsting by Houran.

**CHAPTER 11: TWO TO TANGLE**

Gojyo snatched a few brief hours of sleep and left the apartment earlier than usual. His jacket was still a little damp, so he left it hanging across the back of the couch and changed into something slightly more formal—a knitted wool vest paired with a long, blue-black coat and matching pants. [1] At least the chill wind that had howled down the streets last night had subsided, and he was not more than moderately chilly as he tromped through the snow with the resolve of a man who has something that needs doing.

He turned left down one street, turned right at another some distance on and ended up in a sheltered avenue, stopping in front of a block of flats. Up three flights of stairs he went, and he walked straight to the end of the unfurnished corridor. There, he rang the doorbell of apartment 03-87.

"Coming!" a female voice answered, and footsteps were heard galloping to the door. Seconds later, a young woman's round, earnest face poked round the door, glasses slipping down over her nose and her thick fluffy hair a haze around her face.

"AAGH!" yelped Gojyo with unfeigned surprise.

"Ah, Gojyo-_san_!" she beamed. "You came very quickly! Sorry, I just got up."

It didn't take long for the _kappa_ to regain his composure, and he shrugged and grinned. "Babe, I am a man of _action_. So sue me. Let's not waste time, shall we?"

"But of course." She let him in, and motioned for him to sit on the couch. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back with all the necessary items."

"Go right ahead."

Yin disappeared into the mess that was her office cum study, and returned with a massive sheaf of papers that she dumped in front of Gojyo. She adjusted her spectacles and clicked open her pen.

"Now, about the necessary paperwork to buy this apartment…"

-----o-----

Houran slept fitfully all that night, and woke at six o' clock in the morning. As she got up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she heard the muffled tromp-tromp of Gojyo's boots outside. So, he was leaving for his appointment with that 'Yin' after all. Houran wondered what exactly she looked like. Must be very pretty. The door closed, a dreadful, final sound for the young woman.

"_Sayounara_, Gojyo-_san_," she whispered softly to the empty air. She had one last thing to do now, before she closed the book on this chapter of her life. Rising from the bed, she gathered together in a shopping bag a few of the simpler garments she owned. Slowly and deliberately, she then removed her earrings and hair ornament, letting incarnadine tresses fall loose. She looked down upon the exquisitely crafted creations, antique jade and gold and silver thread, and shoved them into her pocket.Houmaou_, _the man she called 'father', would surely have been incensed if he knew. The earrings had belonged to her human mother, and had been passed down her maternal line for generations.

Still, money for a bus ticket was money for a bus ticket, no matter how she got it.

This was it. She tied back her hair right at the ends with a thin black ribbon and hefted the shopping bag—all her worldly possessions. Opening the door to her room, she bid the place a silent goodbye…

"Houran? Why the sudden…where are you going?" It was Hakkai, a plate of instant _yakiudon_[2] in one hand and a mug of green tea in the other.

"I am leaving, Hakkai-_san_," she said with a small bow of her head. "Thank you for everything, but I've really overstayed my welcome."

"You've done nothing of the sort!" he exclaimed, setting his breakfast down on the table. "Why…does Gojyo know about this?"

"No, and it is for the best that you do not tell him of what I'm doing."

"Where will you go?"

"Home. Back to where I first met you. I'll get a job and restore my clan's name."

"Gojyo…he…"

"He left early this morning. I heard him talking to a woman on the phone last night. They seem quite close. I will not stand in his way if he wants to be with Yin."

"…Yin?" Realisation crossed Hakkai's face. The name was a familiar one, and he finally realised what Gojyo might be doing. "Wait a minute. I _know_ Yin, and…"

"…A mutual friend?"

"It should be the same Yin, yes," Hakkai conceded.

"You knew about this, and you could still tell me he loved me?!"

"Yes, I mean NO! Goodness, Houran, it's _not_ what you think…" he spluttered.

Her expression only hardened further. "I heard enough last night. I am going, Hakkai-_san_."

"Houran, _onegai_, please! Just listen to me for a minute!" He grabbed her arm, and with surprising ferocity, she whipped around, shook his hand off and slammed her free palm into his chest.

"_Shi_," [3] she intoned quietly, and a haze of blue energy surrounded them both.

At once, every single one of Hakkai's joints locked stiff. He gave a surprised gasp, finding even his fingers paralysed, and crumpled to the floor. He could only watch in distress as Houran unlocked the door and prepared to leave.

_Amazing_, he thought, _Houmaou's powers must have included immobilisation. _

"I'm sorry, Hakkai-_san_," she murmured, a single crystal tear sliding down her fair cheek, "Gojyo-_san_ saved my life once, and I will never forget that, but he has his own life to live, and I realise that now. Tell him I'm sorry. Tell him…that I loved him."

She left, and Hakkai blacked out.

-----o-----

It was some time later that Hakkai came to, Hakuryuu's sandpapery tongue brushing against the tip of his nose. The _yakiudon_ had gone cold, and Houran's trail would surely have done the same by now. She could have gone anywhere! Hakkai cursed silently, thinking that Gojyo would have plenty to say about this…and he was about to find out just _how_ much.

"Whoo! It's still freezing out there!" exclaimed the half-demon as he flung the door open, cheeks flushed red as his hair.

"Gojyo."

"Morning, Hakkai. Damn, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! Where's Houran?"

"We have bigger problems. She's gone."

Short silence. Gojyo froze in the middle of removing his coat. "Gone?! B-but where?! Why?" His face was twisted in disbelief.

"Do you realise how your late-night conversation with Yin-_san_ must have sounded to her?"

"Late-night…" The penny dropped. "Oooooooooooh, _shit_. I thought she was asleep then! And I was such a _jerk_…"

"No kidding," Hakkai said dryly, but his brow was furrowed with worry. "I tried to stop her, but she used some sort of paralysing _ki_ on me. She told me to tell you that she's sorry. And that she loves you."

Despair and hurt flickered through Gojyo's eyes for a while, but then he shook himself. "Hakkai, where'd she go? I have to find her and explain things."

"Back home, to where we first met her, she said."

"She's not going to WALK there?!"

Hakkai didn't answer that, but reached up to pat Hakuryuu's head. "She won't be stalling—her mind is made up. Take Hakuryuu, he'll give you some speed. Oh, and Gojyo?"

"What?" He was rebuttoning the blue coat.

"Good luck."

-----o-----

It would have been nice to say that Gojyo drove like a bat out of hell, scattering innocent chickens and scaring the crap out of the residents of Chouan as Hakuryuu roared around the corners…but he didn't. Chouan didn't have any chickens to scare, anyway. Still, Gojyo kept the pedal to the metal, stopping only to flag down acquaintances, mutual or not, who might have seen her.

He got little luck until he made enquiries with the local pawnbroker, a skinny little man known as Gouron. Gouron looked surprised that Gojyo was asking around for her.

"Land-sakes, boy, you'd better make haste," he gasped. "She pawned her earrings and headband here just an hour ago! She said she was going on an out-of-town trip, and you knew about it!" He cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "Did you do anything out of the ordinary to her, boy?"

"I might have," Gojyo moaned, massaging his temples furiously, "I've been an idiot to her for the past few weeks. Foogit..."

"Well, at least you're admitting it. She said she needed the pawning money for a bus ticket! Go! Go! Don't let me be a-keeping you here!"

Gojyo went. It was only five kilometres down the road that he realised the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny problem—he didn't know where in hell the bus station was.

-----o-----

"One way ticket to Hattarei, please. Direct."[4] Houran had finally reached the front of the long and winding queue, and pushed her money across the counter. The lady behind the counter looked up in surprise, fingering the notes with well-manicured, black-painted nails.

"Sorry, miss, but there're no more direct tickets to Hattarei. That bus just left. However," she was quick to add, her deep, low voice becoming a touch gentler upon seeing Houran's stricken expression, "I can sell you a ticket for a bus that is leaving in about fifteen minutes for Hattarei. It stops halfway at Bakuga, though." [5]

"That will do nicely. Please hurry. I'm in a bit of a rush."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were running away from something," chuckled the attendant. "All right, here's your ticket. Have a nice day!"

"Thank you." Houran took the ticket from the manicured hand and made her way towards an empty bench. A small growl rose from her stomach, and she winced. She had completely neglected to eat any breakfast. She decided to tough it out—the journey to Hattarei couldn't be too far.

Not too far away, a certain red-haired young man was pulling up to a stop in front of the bus station, cursing fit to turn the air blue. Gojyo ordered Hakuryuu to stay put and charged into the station, calling out for her, ducking into the little shops and stalls scattered around the building, peering at every face to make sure it wasn't hers. He was beginning to despair of ever finding her, but as he looked over one shoulder, he saw, for a fleeting second, a flash of red being swallowed up by the crowd.

"Houran! HOURAN!" he roared, charging towards the already moving bus. If she heard him, she made no reply. He put all his speed into it, but the vehicle accelerated faster than he could, and was already halfway out of the station by the time he'd managed to jostle his way through the crowd.

"_Chikushou_!" he almost shouted, self-control kicking in at the very last instant. He turned, strode towards the ticket counter and placed his hands upon it, fixing the attendant with his sternest gaze.

"Lady, where's that bus headed to?"

"Hattarei—stops at Bakuga," came the reply from the attendant. She rested her chin on folded hands, making Gojyo wonder where exactly he'd seen those nails before. "I suggest you take that jeep of yours and give chase. You should be able to reach Bakuga first if you drive fast and stay off the expressway."

Gojyo jumped back as if she had suddenly asked him to strip naked and dance in the middle of the floor. "B-but, how did you…!"

"My _dear_ man, I am all-knowing and all-powerful," purred the ticket attendant, and gave Gojyo a luscious wink, smiling roguishly. Gojyo suddenly realised this definitely wasn't any ordinary ticket attendant as features and face suddenly meshed into a recognisable picture. All _too_ recognisable.

"K-what—Kannon?!" he spluttered.

"Bingo," Kanzeon Bosatsu sang out gleefully. "Clever boy, you recognised me. Still, this is no time for chit-chat, or other activities." She grinned, recalling their first encounter[6]. "I've been watching you for some time now, and seeing you act like a lovesick _ kappa_ is most entertaining. The en has truly reinstated itself."

Gojyo groaned. "En? Bloody hell, not YOU too."

"What can I say?" smiled Kanzeon sweetly. "I _am _the goddess of true love."

"Cheesh!" Gojyo turned on his heel and made as if to go, then stopped in his tracks and turned back. "She's headed for Bakuga? I suppose I owe you one."

"…Don't burn any incense in thanks. The smell gets into my hair and stays for ages." She winced. "Just you keep on living the way you were meant to, and that's quite enough. Now get that rear in gear, Kenren. She really does need you…as you need her."

-----o-----

[1] Let's just say my ex-teacher's daughter came to school to claim her SPM results wearing a similar ensemble, and the first thing I thought was 'Ohmigod! That would look so GOOD on Gojyo!'

[2] _Yakiudon_ = fried thick noodles.

[3] Shi is a common reading for may Japanese _kanji_ (borrowed Chinese characters) and can mean, among other things, 'will', 'envoy', 'child', 'death', 'support', and in this case...'stop'.

[4] Hattarei = as I've mentioned before in the bloopers section of A Time For Us (look it up, sankyuu!), this is MY hometown.

[5] Bakuga = Mohe. It's the part of China where my ancestors came from.

[6] If you will recall, in manga chapter 13, Faith in mind, or anime ep 7, Goodnight @ _Tasogare no Wakare_ (Farewell at Twilight), Kanzeon, er, 'SMOOCHED' Gojyo. Poor kappa, what an experience XD

And finally, reviewer thanks...

**Konzen n Ashura A. -- ** Uh, I'm glad you like Gojyo, konzen. Sanzo and Goku will appear in precisely three chapters, Ashura. Hopefully for both of you, you'll find some small explanation to his actions in this chapter. Blink and you may miss the sentence. ;) Damn, Gojyo, I never thought we'd be fooling READERS!  
**Gojyo: **...I feel terrible. *mutter* Especially considering most'a' these readers are ladies.  
**M2000: **Love is blind. I swear you'll be able to make it up, dear _kappa_. *mutter* Oh ye gods, I loved Konzen's reaction...


	13. Chap 12

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Saiyuki…yet. Severe fluff, M2000 style and slight PWPness. More hopeless angsting by Houran.

**To all Malaysian readers: **I will be at the AXN Anime Festival in MidValley on 27/09, cosplaying Gojyo. I'll be easy to recognise -- look for a _kappa_ with black hair and specs! ;)

**CHAPTER 12: SOLUTIONS PROPOSED**

_ Cold and dark and lonely…I remember somewhere cold and dark and lonely…_

_It was then you pulled me out of the darkness, and brought me into the blinding light, beautiful and warm. Twice have you done this, and the second time the light shone all the brighter upon us. Alas, the light is fading with the passing of time, and I now see it shining in a place far beyond my reach._

_For that one taste of light, I will willingly return to darkness if I may see it still, albeit far away. Who knows…with the strength you have given me, I may be able to create a light of my own now… _

-----o-----

The sun was just starting on its way down towards its nadir when the bus creaked to a stop. Houran was jolted out of her slumber, and looked around, forgetting momentarily where she was. All around her, passengers were draining rapidly out of the vehicle. The sign she saw through the window read, in plain black script, 'Bakuga'.

A horrendous growl arose from Houran's innards, and she winced. She had not eaten a thing since last night, and hunger had been gnawing at her insides since the bus-trip started. She felt in her pocket for the coins she had left, thought it over and decided to continue to tough it out until she reached Hattarei. Perhaps some fresh air might help the dizziness.

She picked up her bag and stepped down from the bus. The chill winter air _did_ help some, but when she returned to her seat, she found it occupied by a rough, brash demon and his equally cruddy-looking companion. They weren't passengers prior to this, she was sure of that.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think that's my seat you're in."

"Oh really, lovely?" he said with a lecherous grin, looking up at her. "Where's that written? I don't see your name on this here seat! Maybe the label got stuck to you?" He tried to cop a feel of Houran's behind, and she gave a sharp yelp before slapping him as hard as she could across the hand.

"Groper!" she spat furiously.

"Aww, whassamatter, lovely?" he said, pretending to be hurt. "Can't a man have his fun? I don't stake my claim on just ANY babe, you know…give us a kiss, why don't you? Or something more, maybe? Then we'll give up the seats!" He and his companion had disgusting leers painted across their faces as they advanced towards her, taking her by the hand. Houran tried to pull away from them, but the nausea returned with a vengeance and she ended up sprawled across a chair, one of the men looming over her, eyes glinting wildly.

"Don't fight it, lovely—can't you see fate brought us together right here? You seem so cold…come, let me warm you up a little…" He ran his claws down her cheek almost tenderly.

"Let—me—go!!!" she shouted.

"You might wanna do what she says," someone snarled behind them. Houran's vision was blurred from shock and hunger, and the two demons further obscured her line of sight.

"A tough guy, huh? She belong to you?"

"Hah, I wish I could say that. Just here to teach you how to treat a lady right, boys."

"Smart mouth you got there! Let's get 'im, Zan!"

"Oh, so you want some, do you? Come and get it!"

"Gladly, stranger! RRRAAAAARRRGHHH!!!"

There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, some cracks and crunches, and finally two dull thuds. The last one standing dusted himself off, corrected his jacket and walked over towards Houran.

"…Besides, I had my eye on her first," Gojyo said with a smile, leaning on the back of Houran's seat.

"G…Gojyo?" she stammered, the colour returning gradually to her cheeks. "But how…why…"

"I had some help." He gripped her arm gently. "Can we talk, babe?"

She stiffened. "I don't see what about," she replied tonelessly. "There is nothing to be said."

"There's _plenty_ to be said," countered Gojyo. "Look, I know I've been a rotten bastard to you the past few weeks, especially last night. There's an explanation for all of it, if you'll just come back with me. I can't force you—hell, I wouldn't blame you for leaving, the way I've been acting towards you all of a sudden—but I'd really appreciate it if you would just give me a chance to explain." He looked up at the young woman earnestly, fire gazing into fire. "Please, Houran?"

Houran looked at him for what seemed like a long, long while. "Why should I believe you, when you've lied to me before?"

Gojyo looked genuinely injured. "I'm not asking you to believe me. Just listen."

Houran drew a breath and let it out. "All right," she conceded. "But how…"

"_Kyuu!_" Hakuryuu popped his head out of Gojyo's jacket and nuzzled Houran's cheek.

"You didn't think I FLEW here, did you?"

-----o-----

It was a six-hour long drive, and Houran slept most of the way. She woke to find them already driving past the borders of Chouan, Gojyo humming softly to himself through chattering teeth, and his coat wrapped around her shoulders.

"You were shivering like mad in your sleep, silly girl," Gojyo said gruffly when she protested, "and I didn't have any other spare cloaks in the boot."

"But Gojyo, your vest is SLEEVELESS!"

"So I'll show off my biceps a little. That so wrong?" He tried to joke, but stopped when he saw Houran's pained expression. He sighed, and fixed his eyes on the road again.

"I didn't do it 'cause I had to, Houran," he said very gently, "I did it 'cause I _wanted_ to. I have no burdens." She looked up at him and blinked a few times.

"Gojyo…"

"Eh? What?"

"…Nothing." She smiled. "Thank you."

"No biggie." He looked up at the sky, then at his watch. "You must be hungry. Fancy something to eat? I know a place where we can get really good _sukiyaki_, and the parking's great, even on weekdays."

"That sounds lovely. Where is it?"

"We're in front of it."

"Oh."

The two half-demons entered the old-style establishment, and Gojyo quickly placed an order for two. It was very nice, the both of them kneeling at the low _kotatsu_ [1] and eating with relish. Both of them were much hungrier than they looked, and polished off the whole pot in next to no time, Hakuryuu helping by cleaning up the gristly bits.

"Now," Gojyo said, taking a deep breath, and Houran's hand in one of his own, "about that explanation…y'see, I…"

"Gojyo-_sa~n_! I see you came back!"

"…Hello Yin-_chan_," Gojyo sighed.

A bespectacled young woman appeared round the partition separating the tables, bowed in greeting and knelt by the kotatsu, arranging her thick skirt a little around her knees. "I didn't expect to find you here!" she smiled, pushing back a few stray strands of hair.

"Yeah, well, I eat out here once in a while. Have you eaten? We were just about to leave."

"I just finished, and I was about to do the same. Oh, by the way—you, Sha Gojyo, are in luck! Everything is all set up perfectly! Why not come with me to see 'it' tonight?"

"Great, I'd love to!"

"Excuse me, miss," Houran began, just a little pointedly, "but have we met?"

"I don't think so," Yin conceded, a small and embarrassed smile on her face. "Although I'm a friend of Gojyo's, he asked me to keep that a secret from you."

"Oh." Curiouser and curiouser.

"In any case, the name's Yin. Tsubame Yin," she smiled as she shook Houran's hand. "Local real-estate agent."

-----o-----

Yin hopped in the back of Hakuryuu and the three drove a little further into the heart of Chouan. Gojyo seemed to know very well where he was going, which made Houran a little surprised. Had he been repeating this trip for the past few weeks—possibly with Yin in tow?

Come on, Houran, girl, don't be paranoid. Yin was just a real estate agent. A really _cute_ estate agent. Oh, dear…

They stopped in front of a new, clean-looking apartment complex. "We're here." Yin reached into her pocket and tossed Gojyo a small silver key. "This is yours."

"Thanks. I really owe you one for the past few weeks."

"No prob. I got the guys to move the furniture in for you this afternoon, but it's not quite finished yet."

"I can finish that on my own…."

"Gojyo, just what's going on?" Houran interrupted, terribly confused. If you will recall, the explanation was still forthcoming.

The kappa just smiled his mysterious smile. "You'll see soon enough."

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Gojyo took the key out and unlocked the door to apartment 05-7. The door swung open, and he stepped inside, flicking on the light switch. The fluorescent light sputtered to life, illuminating the apartment. It was a picture of cleanliness and simplicity, and Houran was quite taken with its minimalist beauty.

"Y'like it?" Gojyo asked her suddenly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded. "It's in the heart of town, close to everything, and you could practically walk to give Hakkai a visit if you wanted to. Heck, I wouldn't mind living here at all," he continued.

"Visit? Well then…you must have gone through a lot to get this ready," Houran replied softly. "Thank you. It won't take long to get settled in here, I'm sure. I appreciate your concern all this time, and I hope we can remain as friends, at least…"

The hand left her shoulder. "Houran, WHAT are you talking about?" Gojyo's tone was rather confused. "You think that…I wanted you out of my life?"

"Gojyo, I chose to leave because I…I thought that you wanted your own life back. I can't blame you." Her gaze was still averted from his face. "Am I wrong?"

Gojyo sighed deeply, passing a hand over his rogue's face. "…Sheez. I guess I'd better get this out quick, afore I lose what remains of my nerve." He took a deep breath, looked Houran in the eyes and began. "I know this babe, see. She's really pretty and she has a great body, but that's beside the point. She's also—"he began ticking off fingers—"kind, gentle, smart and very brave. I've always wanted to tell her I loved her since we parted ways, back when I was still on the road with the others. When I first met her I remember feeling like I didn't have to pretend with her, like I wanted to protect her and stay by her side. To make sure she was all right, y'know?"

"I—I see." Houran looked away, out the window.

"Don't look so downcast, Houran," he whispered, turning her face towards him. "I'm talkin' about you. I love you."

There. He'd said it. No trimmings, no trappings, no playboy smile, just the bare truth of the words.

"Gojyo!" She looked up at him, amazed.

"I dunno if you did what you did back there in Avici as a sign of thanks, not affection, and I think I was losing a few marbles myself back then—hell, I think I still am. I do know, though, that I'm telling you everything like it is. I meant what I said and I intend to prove it to you in my own way. Even if you think I'm just a guy who's completely off his rocker, I'd understand. I'd just like it if you stayed here. With me."

To say words completely failed Houran was an understatement. She stared up at Gojyo, her eyes wide as saucers. Slowly, her hands found their way to his, and she squeezed them. It was the only way she could express her emotions. A slow smile dawned upon his face, and he then got to his knees.

"Houran…_would_ you be willing to stay here? As my wife?" He produced from his pocket a small blue velvet box, opening it to reveal a ring with two small heart-shaped diamonds set in it. (Somewhere in the background, Yin was scrabbling for a tissue in her handbag.)

He would have expected a yes, a no, a shake of the head or a nod, but definitely not a powerful, unexpected hug that almost bowled him over. Houran wept into his shoulder for several seconds, then looked up, her eyes shining with freed affection.

"I could think of no greater honour, Gojyo."

He chuckled, and kissed her gently on the lips. "Well, whatEVER are you crying about? I don't like to see a woman cry." (Yin tried to discreetly blow her nose.)

She laughed, a light, gay sound like crystal bells, and looked away to wipe her tears. "Who's crying?"

They kissed once more, a deep kiss that lasted a full minute or so, and Gojyo realised that for the first time, the tears of a woman did not inspire fearful thoughts of his mother—only a burst of untamed affection. They could be happy after all.

-----o-----

[1] I am assuming (rightly, I hope) that old-style Japanese restaurants do provide _kotatsu_ or low tables with heaters under them in winter. 

One chapter to go, brave reader! ^_^

**Konzen** -- I'll try to do so. I have exams next week. Also, _Gojyo has something to say to you_. *nudge*  
**Gojyo: **...*sigh*...I forgive you, Konzen. Just don't cry! I still don't like women crying!  
**M2000: **I thought you jes' got OVER that?! *points about 9-10 lines upwards*  
**Gojyo: **...for the _ most_ part, yes... 

**Kairi-chan** -- As you can see, naaaaaaah. He wouldn't do that if UltraM2000 was writing the fic. 

**D-chan** -- That's why I put these two together. They need someone who understands what they go through, not to mention some lovin' ^_^ Life will not suck for the rest of this fic. 

**Ashura A.: **You bet your bananas he's serious! And as you can see..._bukan setakat bersekdudukan sahaja_...(it wasn't just that he wanted to live with her...) Houran's sorry, but she would like to remind you she didn't hurt Hakkai--just knocked him out. ;) 

**ceres17 **-- Because I have impatient readers, and an equally impatient _senpai _*glares good-naturedly at Firnheledien*. I think Houran's beauty goes a lot further than skin deep, and I would even go on to say she's one of those examples of the demure Eastern stereotype female...although she can kick butt. Besides, she's half-demon, remember? As we all know they can be stunningly good looking.  
**Gojyo, Hong Lang Ying, Hong Zhen Ji: **Why thank you. (LY + ZJ -- OCs from 'A Time For Us')  
**UltraM2000: **:GAAAH! Where'd YOU guys spring from!? 

**Kairi-chan** -- Yep, they both love each other to pieces...It will end soon, but it WILL be a happy ending!


	14. Chap 13

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Saiyuki…and never will. This is for all of you who wanted to see Kougaiji-ikkou in the story. 

**CHAPTER 13: EN(D) GAME**

"He's WHAT?! You're kidding us, Hisa!"

"I wish I WAS, Saffie!" wailed the woman distraughtly, valiantly trying to drown her sorrows in a tankard of the bartender's best beer. "Yin-_chan_ told me about it, and I asked the girl herself in the market! I SAW THE RING!"

"Is it nice?"

"Terribly. 24 k gold with two diamonds in it," she pouted jealously.

"…I think I know that one. Isn't it the ring in Kyouseki Jewellers' window display?"

"The very same."

"Uwaaah. What kind of money did Gojyo come into?"

-----o-----

"_Sankyu na_, Wong. You were a great help."

"No problem. You're a better worker than you look!"

Gojyo smirked, flexing a bicep. "I've been keeping in shape. And besides…one gets tired of the easy life once in a while. I'm perverse. I have to make things hard for myself."

Wong Kai, proprietor of the Itsutsumi Restaurant [1], laughed heartily. "IS that so? Well! What I'm really surprised at, though, is how nobody managed to find out about your working here."

"It's not hard to conceal when all you do is odd jobs," Gojyo shrugged. "At least through your help and Yin's, I managed to get enough money to put down the deposit on that ring."

"…Yin? Tsubame Yin that real-estate woman?"

"That's right. I work for you from twelve noon to twelve midnight. The mornings I used to deliver her circulars and deeds to her clients."

"I see. No wonder you came to work sometimes looking like you'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. May Lady Luck always smile on you, Sha. If you ever need a job, there's always a place here for you."

"Oh, she does, Wong. What were you thinking about doing with me, now?"

"A place as a waiter, after the New Year when one of my men leaves. You get to keep 50 percent of your tips…huh?! But why suddenly?"

"I have my woman to support now, don't I?"

-----o-----

Far to the West, in the land of Tenjiku, lay the ruins of the once-infallible Houtoujou. Centuries ago, this had been where the fighting god Nataku had battled Gyuumaou, and sealed him in permanent slumber. Up till three years ago, this was where a venomous concubine of the latter had fought to resurrect him. Now, Houtoujou was a heap of rubble, grass overgrowing the shattered bricks and old computers. There was no more castle. No more Gyuumaou. No more technology. No more stolen sutras. Mo more oily Gyokumen Koushu, twisted Ni Jyeni, harried Dr. Hwang or anal Wang Roushi. [2] No _nothing_.

Only four demons survived the fall of Houtoujou, and that was by turning against what they had served for so long. When Houtoujou fell, they were amongst the last ones standing—Kougaiji, the son of Gyuumaou and his wife Rasetsunyo, his stepsister Lirin, born from the womb of Gyokumen, and his two followers, Yaone the healer and Dokugakuji the strong arm. Released from the taboo spellbind placed upon him by Gyokumen [3], Kougaiji had watched Sanzo leave, and then turn his back on his home.

"Kou!" Doku called to him, surprised. "You're leaving?"

"There is nothing here for us now," Kougaiji had said with conviction. His father had been sealed—all for the better, Kou thought. His birth mother, the ill-fated Rasetsunyo, had died not long after her release from the stone pillar that had trapped her for 500 years and more, but not before she had slain that foul fox Gyokumen Koushu with her own hands. Houtoujou was no longer home to him—it was a place of darkness, no matter how many years of his 520-odd years he had spent there. "We will make new lives for ourselves," he said as he lifted his head to the starry sky like a wolf catching a scent, "but it will not be here. Perhaps it is time that we travelled away from here…or at least, perhaps it is time I did. I cannot stop either of you from leaving, or staying by my side. However, there is a boon I would like to ask of Yaone."

"Y-yes, Kougaiji-_sama_?" the pharmacist had asked. She was immensely surprised when Kougaiji took her hand in his own.

"I ask that you do not go, but remain with me—and I don't mean as my subordinate."

So it was, then. Kougaiji, Lirin, Yaone and Dokugaku (who chose to stay by his master) had migrated, and after about six months of travel by Hiryuu, [4] reached a town called Tsurukame, some five days from Chouan. It was there that they had gone their separate ways, although the four kept in close touch.

Now, Dokugakuji lived alone, earning his living as a kendo teacher of the local children, and boarding at the _Shin Koujinryuu Goubukan_[5]. He wondered, sometimes, what Gojyo was doing now. Almost fifteen years had passed until they'd met again, and, and although he'd written his little brother with his address, he hadn't received a letter from him. What was the now not-so-little brat up to?

"Dokugakuji? This came for you in the post," the dojo's _shihan_interrupted his thoughts, dropping a letter into his lap.

"Ah. Thanks, Dai-_san_," he replied, wincing as he felt the bruise on his shin from the envelope. It seemed fully packed, and he decided to open it somewhere private instead of the porch where he was watching his charges practicing. "Drop swords and take a rest, you lot!" he called over his shoulder before shutting himself in his room.

Demon claws served the place of letter opener, and Doku tipped the envelope upside down. A shower of paper and photos cascaded onto the tatami and his futon, along with a white card trimmed with gold and red. Looking at the card strangely, the demon decided to first read the thick letter in his lap.

_ Hey. How are you? I'm fine. Right, now that the greetings are settled, there's a reason why I haven't written. Here it is… _

Doku leaned against the wall and began to read the rest of the letter. Gojyo told him, in a letter that spanned both sides of about four pages, what had been happening since they had last met. He told him about Avici, and the first date that almost went wrong. Doku laughed, imagining the what-ifs and what-thens of such a situation with Kou and Yaone, and Lirin suddenly interrupting. He thought Kou might smile too, if he heard. Maybe. The 'master plan' also completely cracked the older demon up.

"It looks like the little gaki has finally grown up," he chortled, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "And look at all of these photos he stuck in here. Hey, she's cute. He'll be inviting me to their wedding next."

…_The card, aniki, is for you. I hope you can make it, because if you don't come, sure as hell I'm not sending you wedding cake through the post. Not only that, the saru would probably eat your share. _

_Gojyo _

_P.S. – If Kougaiji, Yaone and the other brat are still around, they're welcome to come too. And bring your girlfriend if you have one. ;)_

…Oh. Oh, boy.

Doku was silent for a short while after that. He reread the letter and the invitation, slid the photo and everything else back into his envelope, tucked it under his pillow and went to see the dojo's _shihan_.

"Err, Dai-_san_, I have a rather large boon to ask of you…"

-----o-----

The big day dawned at last, a few days before the New Year. Gojyo, smart as you please in a white tuxedo with a tie that matched his hair, tried to peek into apartment 5-7 to see Houran in her wedding dress—white, but bordering on pink if the light hit it just right, with her hair in an elaborate bun-braid combination and her face behind the veil. One of the townswomen, however, spotted him and started swatting him with some newspapers.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Watch the hair, auntie!"

"You are NOT supposed to see the bride until the wedding! Now go, shoo!" she scolded and closed the door in his face, but not before his bride could call out "Gojyo, _you_ look very nice!"

Tha half-demon snorted softly and strode off. "Cheesh. I picked a good time to get married—it seems every other woman is getting middle-aged and grumpy."

Hakkai laughed as he adjusted his tie—emerald, to match the suit and jacket. He'd attempted to use gel on his unruly hair, but had met with limited success. "You can't blame them for being superstitious, Gojyo. Comb?"

"Thanks…"

"_Naa_, Sanzo, this thing's pinching my neck! Can't I unbutton it?"

"…No. Shut up."

"But Sanzo—! Can I at least loosen the tie?" He pointed to the orange object of his displeasure.

"What part of 'No' is so hard to understand, eh, _saru_?" Sanzo exploded, whipping out the trademark harisen and swatting the monkey. For some reason, however, the crisp thwack of paper and skull meeting was somewhat more subdued today.

"Goku…how much hair gel did you use?!"

"Eh? Hakkai said I could take as much as I needed."

Sanzo brandished his sticky, gel-splattered paper fan. "Is 'as much as you need' the whole BLOODY F---ING JAR?!"

"_Minasan_, we should go," Hakkai interrupted their 'conversation', snatching a quick look at his wristwatch. "I think Hakuryuu is getting a little impatient." Sanzo looked out the window, where their trusty transport was waiting, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Y'know, this has to be a first in wedding traditions," mused the monk after a pause.

"Hey, Hakuryuu, it's a pity you can't transform into a limousine."

"He's tried, Goku. It didn't work."

The green jeep squeaked indignantly and beeped its horn.

-----o-----

"Come on, feet, get me to the church on time!" pleaded Dokugaku as he galloped through the gates of Chouan. For obvious reasons, there was no way he could park a Hiryuu outside the church in which the wedding was held. "Scuse me, mister! Yeah, you! Where's the church?"

Gouran spotted the demon's pointed ears, and immediately grew guarded. "Why should I tell you? You're probably out for his blood like the rest of 'em! Why don'tcha all give it a rest, eh? The boy's been through enough already!"

That made the fifth time someone was refusing to give directions. Already at his breaking point, Doku summoned Seiryuutou and pointed it at Gouran. "Listen, _jijii_, I've been running around for twenty minutes through Chouan and I think I'm already late! I'm hot, irritated and sick and tired of explaining this to people, so I'm only saying this once—I am Sha Gojyo's brother, and I fully intend on seeing that little squirt get hitched! Now will you give me directions, or not?"

A very frightened pawnbroker pointed a trembling figure up a southbound avenue. Indeed, Doku could see church spires in the distance.

"Sheesh! Thank you!"

-----o-----

Gojyo discreetly sneaked a peek at his wristwatch. Twenty past ten. Some of the guests were rather late in coming, and Gojyo was getting a little worried. There was someone in particular he was hoping would come, but if he wasn't here by now, then he wouldn't be.

_ Ah well…I suppose he's busy. Can't blame him.__.._

"Ow ow ow! Hoi, gerroff! I have an invitation, damn you lot! We ALL do!" A very angry male voice cut into his thoughts.

Gojyo turned, walking at first, then almost running towards the church entrance. Yin saw him, and tried to stop him. "Gojyo-_san_, get back! There're demons outside, and one of them is claiming he's your brother! He's got a freaky sword…"

"Does it have an eyeball in it?"

"The sword? Uh, yeah."

"Does he have birthmarks like so?" He described a V-shape across his forehead and the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah! You know him?"

"Know him? He's my brother! Let him through!"

At his call, the crowd reluctantly melted away from Dokugaku…and Kougaiji, a rather pregnant Yaone, and Lirin. The demon dusted himself off and straightened his attire before turning towards his brother. "Well!" he gasped, glaring down at Gojyo not altogether unpleasantly. "If I'd known this was gonna happen, squirt, I wouldn't have showed up!"

"And if I'd known y'were going to be this late, Dokugakuji, I wouldn't have bothered inviting you! What is with that piddling ponytail you're keeping?!"

"Chi'! It's my fashion sense, not yours! Some gentleman you turned out to be!"

"Whoever said I was a gentleman, eh? I'm not the kid you left behind all those years back, you know."

Doku looked at Gojyo for a long minute, hard grey-violet eyes meeting the deep red ones, before he raised his arm and rested his hand on Gojyo's head.

"No, I suppose you aren't, are you, Gojyo…"

"…Jien?…"

"So! Where do I get to sit, eh?" Doku boomed, ruffling his brother's hair with a laugh. Gojyo yelled, furiously trying to swat Doku's hand away.

"Oi! The hair! Geez, you can't even leave me alone on my wedding day."

"Tough luck, Gojyo," Doku said with a mild grin, "I've been behind on my teasing for _years_ now."

"Chi'," Gojyo looked exasperatedly at his brother as he flattened his unruly tresses. "Ah, hell, I'm still glad you came," he added as he showed Doku to an unoccupied seat.

"I didn't come alone." Doku jerked a thumb towards the door. Almost instantly, an orange and red blur bounced through the door and threw herself upon a certain blonde monk.

"Ya-hooo!!! _Hage Sanzo_! _Hage Sanzo_! _Ne, _Baldie Sanzo, still remember me?" Lirin chirped. She was dressed in a simple red dress, with her now-longer hair done up in a simple braid and a hibiscus in her hair.

"…Get, _off_, me," snarled Sanzo in reply.

"Hakkai-_dono_, good day."

"The same to you, Yaone-_san_. When's the baby due?"

"Hello, Son Goku. It appears we finally meet OFF the battlefield."

"Hiya Kougaiji!"

"…Get your sister off my head, _youkai_!"

"Hey, you all made it then!" Gojyo exclaimed. "That means I have a lot to catch up on with you three later. There's just one thing missing, though…"

"Oh?"

Gojyo leaned over the back of the seat and grinned irritatingly at Jien before speaking in a voice of boyish pitch. "_Aniki_, don't _you_ have a girlfriend?"

-----o-----

So it was that Chouan's most notorious playboy tied the knot and settled down just a few days before Christmas. We shall skip over how many other people turned up, including the bargirls mourning the death of a great Casanova and two women from out of town, Shunrei and Yang Ming. We shall mention only in passing how utterly sweet Dokugakuji looked as, in place of Houmaou, he walked Houran up the isle. We shall even gloss over how the young lass called Meihou, no older than sixteen or seventeen, caught the bouquet of white roses. Two inches to the left, and it might have fallen into Sanzo's unwilling palms. We shall also skip over the reception, which was a merry affair, during which Goku got to see what a French kiss looked like ("Ne, Sanzo, why are they doing_ that_? Is Houran's face tasty?") and Dokugakuji caught up on fifteen years of vital history. Instead, we shall go straight to the end of everything, when all were preparing to go home. This was when Gojyo took Hakkai aside and asked if they could talk.

"Certainly, Gojyo. What is it?"

"Y'know, something's always bugged me since the time we fought in Avici, but it never crossed my mind to ask you—why did you go back and check on Houran, when I was so sure she was dead? I saw the axe slice her up."

Hakkai looked a little surprised, then smiled. "You told me, once, that she was made a _shikigami_ whilst alive, didn't you? I figured that if the spell of the _ shikigami_ was broken, her life force would then be able to resume its due course. It was just a matter of not letting her die back there. She is alive, Gojyo, truly alive and you know it." He squeezed Gojyo's shoulder. "I wish you the best of luck in future. Keep me posted on things, _ne_?"

Gojyo laughed as enlightenment dawned "Oh? Ah, I knew that."

"_Sure_ you did, Gojyo-_san_. Never doubt the healer."

"I don't think that's the only reason you did it, though. Your smile is a little too wide for that."

Hakkai pretended to look hurt. "Why, Gojyo, how could you even think that? I just happen to like a happy ending once in a while."

And that's pretty much what it looked like.

-----o-----

[1] Itsutsumi – 'Five Flavours'. That would be sweet, sour, salty, bitter and _umami_, the fifth being a very Japanese term (MSG and Ajinomoto is said to bring out the _umami_ in food). The proprietor could have used _go_ for '5' instead of _itsutsu_, but who would want to eat at a restaurant whose name means 'rubbish'? XP

[2] The only demon in Gyokumen's laboratory. He's the old, balding guy with the cables sticking out of him and apparently connected to the ceiling somewhere, and the one who cackles evilly when Ni pokes fun at Hwang. We otherwise don't know what the hell he's there for.

[3]

**MANGA SPOILER! MANGA SPOILER! MANGA SPOILER! MANGA SPOILER!  
**Kougaiji was 'brainwashed' by Ni and Gyokumen after the horrendous fight with Goku in the desert. He became a cold and heartless killing machine, which is very NOT Kougaiji at all.  
**MANGA SPOILER END! MANGA SPOILER END! MANGA SPOILER END!**

[4] Hiryuu – 'Flying Dragon'. Hakuryuu's bigger 'brothers' in the series.

[5] Something else I took from Midou Kazuhiko—in this instance, (Ultraman) Dyna-_shihan_'s dojo in Ultra Ninja Manual: Kotobuki #3 and onwards, not to mention its location. I believe Tsurukame may be where Tokyo now sits. Hmm, wonder if Dyna ever considered _kendo_ as a subsidiary of the Savage God Style...;)

Before I thank my last reviewers, shouts go out to those who helped me flesh my story out and were the guinea pigs for various bits-- **Gu Bak Wan, Firnheledien and D.M. Jewelle @ JV (not on FF.Net)**. Your feedback helped immensely, especially when I was stuck over some issues, and your quotes spiced up the story, too. A shout out also goes to another Gojyo fan, **K-mey Sha.**

**konzen** -- You're welcome, and thank you.

**D. Chan **-- You're welcome too. I feel deeply satisfied that the chapter had that effect for you. ^_^

**Kairi-chan** -- Whoa girl, calm down! *LOL* You don't wanna wet those tuxedoes...if they shrink Sanzou-_tachi_ are going to be VERY uncomfy.

**Ashura Akuma** -- I know she didn't review this chap BUT...A.A., I saw your friend at AXN AF! The friend that went knew this other friend of mine during high school, so we met coincidentally! ^_^ Please come to CF 2003 if you can make it!


	15. Epilogue

真紅 の 縁 しんく の えん  
**_Shinku no En: The Crimson Bond_**_  
by UltraM2000_

**Disclaimer:**Don't own Saiyuki…yet. The last of the severe fluff, M2000 style, and the last of the slight PWPness.

**EPILOGUE: LOST EN FOUND**

Everything seemed so far away within the darkness. It was not the cold, restricting gloom of Avici, but a velvety blackness that washed over everything like a soft, comforting blanket; the darkness of a desert night, of sleep, of nothingness. And it was in this darkness that the half-demon maid known as Houran, the child of the late Phoenix Demon King, lay with her companion between sleep and awakening.

There was darkness, and yet she could feel and see quite clearly, like she had been bestowed the vision of a cat. Gone was the feeling of falling, lost, into an endless abyss, the feeling that had plagued her since the night her family was massacred by a single ambitious human. Everything seemed real and solid and beautiful again, even this pitch-black, and Houran felt safe and secure, like a drowning person who has touched ground again. She moved slightly, opening her eyes. Something felt different, yet so very familiar.

Her companion, too, stirred, lifting his head in the calm, watchful way he'd always done when they had woken from their sleep. Of course. It all came back to her now. Why did she not recognise him? He was her protector, companion, friend…mate. The heart that she could feel beating strongly against her naked shoulder blade held the same strength as it had always had, the same passion. It was the heart of the only human she had ever opened her heart to.

"Minran," [1] a hoarse whisper hailed her. She looked up through the crimson hair that fell across her face into the beautiful crimson eyes she remembered so well. A smile was on her companion's lips, and she longed suddenly to touch his scruffy black hair again.

"Ken'in," [2] she replied, snuggling close to him.

-----o-----

_500 years ago, the general Kenren Taisho was sent down from Heaven, ostensibly for crimes of treason. He maintained his crimson eyes and black hair, but his godliness was torn from him and he lost all memories of his previous existence. When he was but a young lad of seventeen, he had already left his town of birth and travelled the still-new land of Tougenkyou as a wanderer. That is how he found his fellow traveller, Minran. _

_ She was a demoness, but resembled a heavenly nymph. Her hair was a deep, fiery red, like a phoenix's plumage, and her eyes were the deep blue of polished sapphire. She was graceful and delicate, with the most wonderful smile, and her sweet nature could surpass quite a few humans Ken'in had known. They began to travel together, and as time went on they grew to love each other with a love so pure and deep not even gods could deny it. They got married. They settled down. Minran took in Ken'in's male seed and became with child. _

_ How wonderfully life had treated them. The two soulmates were very happy. The gods, however, were not. Some punishment this was turning out to be! _

_ As soon as Ken'in's offspring was born, the enraged Tentei sent his soldiers to slay poor Minran, and sent a vicious plague down upon the land. The child died within a moon of its birth, breathing its last in Ken'in's arms. Henceforth, the people often saw an crimson-eyed human roaming across Tougenkyou, laughing and crying in one breath as his trembling hands clutched to his breast a baby's corpse no more than skin and bones. He could do no more but beg for food and drink and a place to shelter his unstable self, telling anyone who would hear about the taboo of a half-demon child, crimson-haired and crimson-eyed. Tentei made sure his errant general's words would ring true for the coming aeons by tweaking the genes of his creations ever so slightly, and made sure also he was around for a long time to spread the word. Ken'in died alone, as Tentei had hoped, a solitary and suffering figure at the age of 83, and continued to die a solitary and suffering figure for twenty incarnations and more._

_ Gods can be cruel, indeed, but they are never unwary._

-----o-----

"How fared our child?" Minran murmured. Ken'in tensed momentarily.

"A plague fell across the land not long after you died," he replied, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears from coming. "Our child took ill and passed on. The gods did not look kindly upon our bond. They took her away from me, like they took you."

"But I didn't go, Fuu. I never did." Minran's voice seemed softer, deeper now. Shadows seemed to tint her hair a rich and inky black. And why was she calling him Fuu?

Wasn't that his name? Ah, yes, it was.

He looked down at his partner, and wondered why he had expected to see red hair and blue eyes when Tsuru's hair was as dark as night and her eyes were as green as the jade envoys had brought on obeisance to their lord.

Minran (no, Tsuru. Her name was Tsuru.) wondered herself why she'd expected her blonde, blue-eyed companion to be crimson-eyed and raven-haired.

"Tsuru, my lady, we meet again," [3] he greeted her.

"Fuu, my lord," [4] she smiled. "I have waited for so long."

-----o-----

_ He was a samurai of the Sengoku Jidai, the era of the Warring Kingdoms. Fuu was tall and slender for a man, with equally unusual blond hair and blue eyes. He had Occidental blood somewhere in his ancestry. She was the samurai's partner and spy, a kunoichi or female ninja. Tsuru was a surprisingly small, frail-looking woman, but her brains quite made up for the fact. She could run mental rings round a few of the Emperor's advisors, although she wisely chose not to speak of such matters. Planning strategies with Fuu was quite enough. _

_ They had been working together for quite some time, and there was a special sort of bond between them. Not love, something a little more intangible. They worked and acted as one entity, so much so to the point their emperor sometimes called them Moye and Ganjiang in jest, after two legendary swords forged in East Tougenkyou, identical in almost every aspect but a pair, male and female, just the same. Both of them had even gained scars in the same battle. Fuu had a thin rope of scar tissue making its way down the left side of his neck and Tsuru had three small scratches cut into her right cheek. It only had the effect of making her look mischievous. _

_ Fuu was about thirty and Tsuru the age of twenty-one when he formally asked for her hand. She agreed, deeply honoured that he would consider a lowly kunoichi to be his wife, but he merely replied that they were both equals and he was greatly honoured himself to have such a dedicated partner. They made plans to be married on the morn after that year's Tanabata, the lover's festival of Tougenkyou, but on the festival's night itself a neighbouring kingdom launched a ferocious attack on them. _

_ Fuu and his compatriots fought bravely, but there were too many and they were horribly unprepared for the onslaught. They were cut down like so many blades of grass, and Fuu himself was shot through the chest with some strange, fire-spitting sword they called a 'harquebus'. [5] Tsuru ran to him and cradled his dying body, both of them going unnoticed in the flurry of warfare. _

_ The wound drained him quickly. Fuu didn't have enough time to profess his deep affection for his sister-at-arms. He never would. He settled for stroking her cheek softly, wiping away her tears. _

_ "Sweet Tsuru, farewell. I will be back someday."_

-----o-----

"_Sou de gozaimasu ka_," [6] breathed Fuu. "Now I remember." He ran his fingers through Tsuru's raven hair, ruby pinpoints shining suddenly where he had touched it, tracing the three small scars upon her cheek even as they faded. "I made that promise, but alas, I failed to keep it."

"It matters not now," Tsuru replied, smiling gently. She had always been so acceptant of the workings of Fate. "But back then, the lonely crane found it hard to fly without the wind to guide it."

"It has returned, as it promised," Fuu replied, in a voice low and smooth and gruff and familiar to Tsuru. He held out his hand to her as he stood, and she took it. Funnily enough, she'd never remembered his palms to be so rough, but yes, these were the hands of the man she loved.

"And for this, I am grateful," she said in a voice not quite her own.

"I am sorry I left. But they will never break us apart again…Houran."

Ah. Her name wasn't Tsuru now, was it? It wasn't Minran either. It was Houran. She was Houran. He was not Ken'in nor Fuu, just Gojyo.

And all at once, there they were, two half-demons in each other's embrace, keeping each other warm and safe. "You will no longer be alone. You have me to lean on," Gojyo whispered, saying the words he had always wanted to say.

"And you shall have me, Gojyo," she whispered, her eyes shining with tears.

Centuries had passed, but the en had found itself. Once more, they could be whole.

-----o-----

Houran awoke to find herself staring into crimson eyes mirroring her own, and smiled. She knew Gojyo had dreamt the same thing.

"We go back pretty far, don't we?" he whispered with a small laugh.

"We sure do," she murmured, snuggling closer to him.

"Ne, Houran…you cold?"

"A little bit."

"I know several good ways to get warm," Gojyo said huskily, nuzzling her throat.

Nothing more was said that night.

-----o-----

[1] Bright Orchid.

[2] Curtain-Sign.

[3] Crane.

[4] Wind.

[5] Type of rifle.

[6] Polite version of _Sou desu ka_ – 'is that so?'

-----o-----

And that, my friends, concludes _Shinku no En_! _Koko made arigatou! _(Thank you for everything until now!) 


End file.
